Fat tissue was found in the lungs of obese people for the first time. The discovery was made by scientists from Australia. According to them, the fat on the airways is associated with the occurrence of asthma.
BBC News reports that Australian scientists in the pages of the “European Respiratory Journal” presented the surprising results of the study. They analyzed lung samples derived from 52 people. They used dyes to visualize cellular structures under a microscope. They found that the respiratory tract contains fat – in an amount directly proportional to the body weight of the subjects. The data was compared with each person’s BMI.
Overweight and obesity and asthma
This finding is very likely to answer the question of why being overweight and obese increase the risk of asthma. It turned out that 21 of the respondents suffered from asthma, and 16 died from this disease. There are indications that fat changes the structure of the airways and causes inflammation of the lungs, explaining the increased risk of asthma in overweight or obese people. The walls of the airways thicken and the flow of air to and from the lungs is restricted. This seems to be why obese patients lose their breath during activity and exercise.
The field for new research is open
Professor Thierry Troosters, president of the European Respiratory Society, said the discovery was very important because it was the first to point to real changes in the airways in overweight and obese people. According to him, more research is needed to determine whether the amount of fat in the lungs is decreasing as you lose weight. Troosters emphasizes that the study is small and needs to be expanded to include more patient groups.
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