TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations between obesity and asthma in a large sample of twins
AU - Thomsen, S.F.
AU - Ulrik, C.S.
AU - Kyvik, K.
AU - Sorensen, T.I.A.
AU - Posthuma, D.
AU - Skadhauge, L.R.
AU - Steffensen, I.
AU - Backer, V.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - 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. © 2007 The Authors.
AB - 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. © 2007 The Authors.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01480.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01480.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0105-4538
VL - 62
SP - 1199
EP - 1204
JO - Allergy
JF - Allergy
IS - 10
ER -
