Asthma Symptoms Worsened by Fast Foods

According to a new scientific study, it would appear that asthma patients who eat a lot of food tend to experience worse symptoms than those who are on a lower-fat diet. The investigation uncovered that those eating fast foods, which are generally high in saturated fat, were at a higher chance of responding worse to treatment than their peers who ate more healthy food. Fatty meals were also found to increase airway inflammation in asthma patients. The symptom was more difficult to revert with standard medication than in asthma sufferers who ate less fat, LiveScience reports.

The study associates additional negative effects to eating fast food. The habit has already been linked in previous studies to increased chances of developing heart conditions, as well as with obesity. These conditions are themselves linked to diabetes, as well as a host of other disorders. The effect junk food has on asthma has not been documented in such detail before, the experts behind the new study say. An important thing that the research emphasizes is that asthma is not necessarily dictated by a person's predisposition, but that environmental factors contribute significantly as well.

“If these results can be confirmed by further research, this suggests that strategies aimed at reducing dietary fat intake may be useful in managing asthma,” explains University of Newcastle expert Lisa Wood, who was also a researcher on the new study. Official statistics from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology show that more than 34.1 million US citizens suffered from asthma in 2007. The current number is estimated to be even higher. The condition's prevalence among the general population rose more than 75 percent in the 14 years between 1980 and 1994. The trend can also be found to lesser extents in most of the western, developed world.

Asthma can be very dangerous when seizures occur. Some of the most common manifestations include coughing, wheezing, and experiencing severe shortness of breath. The seizures themselves can be triggered by a wide variety of factors, including among other air pollution, smoke and allergens (pollen dust, animal dander, bee stings, etc.). Additional details of the new work will be presented in New Orleans, between May 14-19, at the annual International Conference of the American Thoracic Society.