Prospective Study on the Relationship of Obesity to Asthma Impairment and Risk

Background Although studies consistently show an association between obesity and increased asthma incidence, the role of obesity in asthma control is less clear. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between baseline body mass index (BMI) and measures of subsequent asthma control in a large real-world cohort of adults with persistent asthma. Methods In Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), a large managed care organization, we identified adults with persistent asthma in 2006, continuous health plan enrollment in 2007 and 2008, and a BMI measurement in 2006 or 2007. Each patient's last BMI measure in 2006 or 2007 was categorized into a BMI group: normal (