Exercise-induced bronchospasm in obese adolescents

BACKGROUND: Assess the frequency and severity of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in obese adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study involving 80 adolescents of both genders, aged 10-16 years-old, divided into four groups according to clinical history of asthma and/or allergic rhinitis and body mass index as follows: asthmatic obese (n = 18); asthmatic non-obese (n = 21); obese non-asthmatic (n = 26); and healthy individuals (n = 15). An exercise bronchoprovocation test was used for EIB diagnosis, considered positive when the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) decreased > or = 15% in relation to pre-exercise FEV(1). Maximum percent fall in FEV(1) (MF%FEV(1)) and area above the curve (AAC(0-30)) were calculated to evaluate EIB severity and recovery. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in EIB frequency between asthmatic obese (50.0%) and asthmatic non-obese (38.0%) individuals or between obese non-asthmatics (11.5%) and healthy individuals (6.7%). However, the MF%FEV(1) and AAC(0-30) were significantly greater in the asthmatic obese group compared to the asthmatic non-obese (37.7% and 455 vs 24.5% and 214, p<0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity did not contribute to increased EIB frequency in asthmatics and non-asthmatics. However, obesity did contribute to increased EIB severity and recovery among asthmatics.