For the first time ever, u n new study has shown that fat can accumulate on the walls of the airways of the lungs. According to the work, published in the European Respiratory Journal , the amount of fat accumulation was higher among overweight or obese people, compared to those of normal weight.
We already knew that the accumulation of fat in the arteries can increase the chances of developing heart problems, but this is the first early evidence that the same type of blockage could occur in the lungs, and could be related to asthma . And it is that until now it was thought that the connection between obesity and asthma could be caused by additional pressure on the lungs or additional inflammation in the body. Now we can say that fatty deposits can also play a key role in this relationship.
A new study has found that fatty tissue can accumulate in the airways of people with obesity, possibly contributing to asthma and other respiratory problems.
Obesity and asthma, a mysterious link
The new work explains how the accumulation of fat in the lungs can represent a problem for people who are overweight or obese, and that it can contribute to the development of respiratory conditions, such as asthma.
“Our research team is studying the structure of the airways within our lungs and how they are altered in people with respiratory diseases. Looking at lung samples, we saw fatty tissue that had accumulated on the walls of the airways. We wanted to see if this accumulation was correlated with body weight, “explains John Elliot of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia, and leader of the study.
Excess fat accumulates on the walls of the airways
To do this, the researchers analyzed lung samples collected post-mortem from 52 lungs donated for science. Of the total, 15 had not had asthma, 21 had had asthma but died from unrelated causes, and 16 had died from asthma-related causes.
The scientists used special dyes to study the structure of 1,373 airways to identify how much fat tissue, if any, was present in them. They also analyzed data on the body mass index (BMI) of each donor. They found that fatty tissue accumulated on the walls of the airways and that the higher a person’s BMI, the more fat accumulated in the airways.
In addition, the accumulation of fat can affect the normal structure of the airways, blocking them and causing inflammation in the lungs, which, in turn, can contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems.
“We have found that excess fat accumulates on the walls of the airways where it takes up space and appears to increase inflammation within the lungs. We believe this is causing a thickening of the airways that limits air flow in and out. of the lungs , and that could explain at least in part an increase in asthma symptoms, “says Peter Noble, co-author of the work.
What this study does is suggest another reason that maintaining a healthy weight is so important to the proper functioning of the human body.
In the future, the researchers hope to confirm the relationship between obesity, fatty tissue in the respiratory system, and lung health problems. And they’re also interested in finding out if losing weight could reverse obesity’s potential impact on respiratory health.
Referencia: Fatty Airways: Implications for Obstructive Disease. John G. Elliot, Graham M. Donovan, Kimberley C.W. Wang, Francis H.Y. Green, Alan L. James, Peter B. Noble. European Respiratory Journal 2019; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00857-2019
