title: [Children and Adolescents with Asthma Differ in Lung Function Parameters and Exhaled NO from Children and Adolescents with Obesity].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of asthma and overweight/obesity in children and adolescents is continuously increasing over the last decades. It remains unclear if overweight/obesity raises the risk of developing asthma or if an uncontrolled asthma increases the risk of developing overweight/obesity by restricting physical activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to elucidate, if children and adolescents with overweight/obesity differ from normal-weight asthmatics in lung functions parameters (FEV1, FEV1/VC, MEF50 and SRtot) and in exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally, n=142 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years were included in this study: group 1 comprised n=44 with overweight/obesity defined as a Body-Mass-Index (BMI)>90th percentile; group 2 n=44 with a doctors diagnosed bronchial asthma according to the GINA-guidelines, and group 3 with n=36 pulmonary healthy controls. N=18 children with both asthma and overweight/obesity were excluded from further analysis. We collected data about socio-demographic variables from a standardized questionnaire, bodyplethysmography (FEV1, FEV1/VC, MEF50 and SRtot) and FeNO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal-weight children and adolescents with asthma had significantly lower FEV1/VC (Tiffenau-Index 90,9±12,8) and MEF50 (84.0% predicted±27.6) than children with overweight/obesity (97,6±12,4 p=0.001 respectively 99.1±20.9 p=0.001) and healthy controls (98±13,5 p=0,003; 96.7±19.3 p=0.011). Normal weight asthmatics had a significantly higher FeNO (38.3 ppb) than children and adolescents with overweight/obesity (14.0 ppb p=0.014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal-weight children and adolescents with asthma differ significantly both in their lung function parameters as well as in their exhaled nitric oxide concentration from children and adolescents with overweight/obesity. For clinical practice it is important to note that children and adolescents with overweight/obesity have no signs of an obstructive airway diseases and are as resilient as healthy children and adolescents with regard to their lung function. The possible late-onset of asthma symptoms and lung function changes in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity requires further detailed longitudinal studies.
authors.affiliation: Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schmauck-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Menrath
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Luebeck.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herz
authors.affiliation: Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Kopp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide