Around six million children in our country are affected by asthma, making it the most common chronic lung disease in childhood.
New research has uncovered a startling link between asthma and a risk factor many parents may not aware of: their child's weight.
It’s long been understood that obesity is linked to asthma in adults, but a new study in Pediatrics shows that an estimated 23-percent to 27-percent of new asthma cases in obese children are directly attributable to obesity.
Duke University researchers found that in the absence of overweight or obesity, 10-percent of all U.S. cases of pediatric asthma could be avoided.
Until now, there have been few known preventable factors which can potentially reduce childhood asthma.
Dr. Preeti Sharma, pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Health and UT Southwestern, said the reasons why obesity is linked to asthma aren't entirely known but she said limiting your obese child's activity to avoid an asthma flareup isn't suggested.
"Talking to a doctor, getting your child the appropriate asthma therapies so that their asthma is well controlled is key," she said.
