Comparison of the clinical and funcional characteristics of bronchial asthma among overweight-obese children and eutrophic children admited to the Bronchial Asthma Program of Hospital III EsSalud Yanahuara

Abstract

Objective: To establish differences in the clinical and functional characteristics of bronchial asthma between overweight-obese and eutrophic patients admitted to the Bronchial Asthma Program of Hospital III Yanahuara - Arequipa during July and December 2016. Materials and Methods: The participants were divided into groups according to their nutritional status. In addition, the clinical condition and functional assessment of the patients were evaluated with the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Exercise Bronchial Provocation Test (EBPT), respectively. The results were analyzed using the chi square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The sample consisted of 91 asthmatic children between 5 and 16 years of age, of which 50.55% were eutrophic, 30.77% overweight and 18.68% obese. The clinical evaluation with the ACT test showed an uncontrolled condition in 63.04% of the eutrophic patients, in 64.29% of the overweight patients, and in 58.82% of the obese patients (p > 0.05). The functional evaluation carried out with the PPBE showed that overweight or obese patients presented significantly lower values of maximum respiratory flow (PEF) compared to eutrophic patients 5 minutes after the start of the test (p ˂ 0.05). Conclusions: Overweight or obese asthmatic patients presented significantly lower peak respiratory flow (PEF) values, indicating decreased lung function even before starting treatment.