World-first finding of fat accumulation in obese/overweight people’s airways
Obese or overweight people are known to be at higher risk of respiratory disease and asthma – a new study backs this association by detecting significant deposits of fatty tissue (adipose cells) in the airway walls of such individuals. The direct pressure or a general increase in inflammation from excess weight on the lungs likely limits the flow of air, according to Peter Noble, from the University of Western Australia (UWA).
As post-mortem lung tissue from 52 subjects revealed a direct correlation between increasing body mass index (BMI) and fatty tissue accumulation in a person’s airways, Noble said the “thickening of the airways could – partly – explain the increase in asthma symptoms.”
The researchers are currently looking for safe methods to study fatty tissue in the lungs of living subjects, which could guide weight loss therapies to reduce these fatty deposits.
Meanwhile, Thierry Troosters, President of the European Respiratory Society, said the discovery could translate to revised weight loss advice to overweight patients with asthma, who would bear worse symptoms, and potentially introduce better treatment options.
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