title: Impact of bariatric surgery on pulmonary function and nitric oxide in asthmatic and non-asthmatic obese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is an important co-morbidity of obesity. This study evaluated the impact of bariatric surgery on respiratory function in obese patients and compared the outcomes in asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was observational and prospective and included subjects on waiting list for bariatric surgery. Pulmonary function, symptoms, and exhaled nitric oxide were assessed before surgery and 1 year after.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine severe obese subjects (age range: 25-66 years) with a mean body mass index of 44.8 ± 4.7 kg/m(2) were included. Fourteen of them had also intermittent to moderate asthma. In the whole population, the body mass index decreased from 44.8 ± 4.7 to 41.1 ± 3.9 kg/m(2) (p = .0001) and the forced vital capacity increased from 3.05 ± 0.83 to 3.50 ± 0.81 L (p = .043). No change was seen in forced expiratory volume and oxygen saturation. These results remained valid also analyzing asthmatics and non-asthmatics separately. Concerning nitric oxide, the decrease at 1 year was significantly different between the two populations, since in asthma patients exhaled nitric oxide decreased by 4.86 ppb after bariatric surgery and increased by 0.27 ppb in non-asthmatics (p = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bariatric surgery significantly reduces the intake of inhaled corticosteroids and the levels of exhaled nitric oxide, thus bronchial inflammation, in asthmatics.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Sant'Orsola-Poliambulanza Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gargioni
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gardinazzi
authors.forename: Giorgio Walter
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Canonica
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passalacqua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001944:Breath Tests; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen