Frequency of persistent obesity 5 years after first time diagnosis of status asthmaticus

Background/Objectives When a severe asthma exacerbation occurs in an obese pediatric patient, it is unknown if this body type persists in future encounters. Persistent obesity can lead to future asthma exacerbations. The main study objective is to evaluate the persistence of a BMI percentile >= 85th in children 5 years after the first reported diagnosis of status asthmaticus. We hypothesized that a hospital admission for status asthmaticus was associated with persistence of a BMI percentile >= 85th. Methods This was a long-term retrospective observational cohort study utilizing TriNetX (R) electronic health record (EHR) data. We included subjects aged 2 to 18 years of age with a diagnosis of status asthmaticus. Study population was divided into two groups based on their admission body mass index percentile: (underweight/healthy weight [<85th percentile] and overweight/obese [>= 85th percentile]) and evaluated for the following outcomes: age, race, ethnicity, diagnostic codes, and BMI percentiles (initially and 5 years after diagnosis of status asthmaticus). Results A total of 129 subjects (n%) (76 [58.9%] underweight/healthy weight and 53 [41.1%] overweight/obese) were included. Children that were initially overweight/obese with status asthmaticus had significantly increased odds of continuing to be overweight/obese 5 years after diagnosis compared to children who were underweight/healthy weight at baseline (OR = 7.50 [95% confidence interval, 3.20-17.60; p < 0.001]). Conclusions Overweight/obese asthmatic children are at risk of continuing to be obese several years after being diagnosed with status asthmaticus. This study reinforces the notion that when an asthmatic obese child presents with status asthmaticus, a thorough evaluation of nutrition, physical activity, and asthma control should be considered to reduce the risk of persistent obesity and possibly future asthma exacerbations.

Automated summary

This study examined the persistence of obesity in pediatric patients diagnosed with status asthmaticus, finding that overweight/obese children with status asthmaticus were significantly more likely to remain obese 5 years after diagnosis compared to those who were underweight/healthy weight at baseline. It highlights the importance of evaluating nutrition, physical activity, and asthma control in obese asthmatic children to reduce the risk of persistent obesity and future asthma exacerbations.