Asthma and obesity: mechanisms and clinical implications.

Obesity is the most common asthma co-morbidity; it has been associated with increased risk for asthma exacerbations, worse respiratory symptoms and poor control. The exact mechanisms remain elusive and are probably multifactorial, stemming from mechanical alterations of the airways and lung parenchyma, to systemic and airway inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation that adversely influences lung function and or response to therapy. However, the fact that not every obese asthmatic is equally affected by weight gain highlights the many challenges and complexities in understanding this association.