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Association between obesity and asthma in a twin cohort
Author(s) -
Thomsen S. F.,
Ulrik C. S.,
Kyvik K. O.,
Sørensen T. I. A.,
Posthuma D.,
Skadhauge L. R.,
Steffensen I.,
Backer V.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01480.x
Subject(s) - asthma , medicine , heritability , obesity , cohort , demography , twin study , danish , population , cohort study , risk factor , pediatrics , environmental health , biology , linguistics , philosophy , genetics , sociology
Background: Obesity is linked to asthma in a yet poorly understood manner. We examined the relationship between obesity and asthma in a population‐based sample of twins. Methods: From the cohorts born between 1953 and 1982, who were enrolled in The Danish Twin Registry, a total of 29 183 twin individuals participated in a nationwide questionnaire study, where data on height, weight and asthma were collected. Latent factor models of genetic and environmental effects were fitted using maximum likelihood methods. Results: The age‐adjusted risk of asthma was increased both in obese females, OR = 1.96 (1.45–2.64), P ≤ 0.001 and in obese males, OR = 1.59 (1.08–2.33), P = 0.02. According to best‐fitting models, the heritability for obesity was 81% in males and 92% in females, whereas the heritability for asthma was 78% and 68% in males and females respectively. The age‐adjusted genetic liabilities to obesity and asthma were significantly correlated only in females, r = 0.28 (0.16–0.38). Conclusions: Obese subjects have an increased risk for asthma, which in females seems partly because of common genes.