Background: Obesity is considered an epidemic in many countries. In Mexico it is related with different pathologies, especially asthma. Relation between asthma and obesity is explained by a fat mechanic restrictive factor over thoracic wall, increase of the pulmonary blood volume and a greater symptoms intensity.
Objective: To determine the relation between body mass index and severity of asthma in allergic adult patients.
Methods: A total of 121 patients were evaluated. Diagnosis and classification of asthma severity was performed according to GINA (2004) criteria. Results were analyzed with descriptive statistics.
Results: 86 women (71.07%) and 35 men (28.92%) with an age average of 30.9 year old were registered. Average weight was 70.15 kg (42-111.5 kg); height, 1.60 m (1.41-1.85 m), and BMI, 27.35 kg/m2 (17.25 to 41.37 kg/m2). In accordance with asthma severity 24 patients had slight intermittent asthma; 35, slight persistent; 45, mild persistent; and 17, severe persistent.
Conclusions: The relation between body mass index and asthma severity is evident, patients with BMI greater than 25 kg/m2 are more susceptible to suffer asthma from moderate to severe degree, mainly woman.