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Western diet pattern may contribute to asthma symptoms in adults

There may be a possible link between a Western diet and asthma morbidity in adults, according to a recent study.

“There are several pathways by which a Western diet pattern could influence adult asthma,” researchers wrote. “The Western diet pattern is rich in pro-inflammatory foods and poor in antioxidant foods, which could influence responses to environmental exposures.”

The researchers compiled peer-reviewed publications from between January 1980 and April 2014 from online databases such as PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science and Scopus databases using key search terms such as asthma and Western diet.

The researchers chose 10 full-text observational studies that met their search terms. The retrieved studies were conducted in North America, Europe and Asia and included sample sizes ranging from 153 to more than 70,000 participants.

Eight studies used food frequency questionnaires to determine the participants’ diets and their respective outcomes, while the remaining two studies evaluated prepackaged and fast food consumption.

Nine of the 10 studies indicated no relationship between a Western diet and asthma incidence, according to the research. A study of 12,648 adults in the Netherlands indicated there was no connection between a diet of processed foods and the presence of asthma (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 0.8-1.6).

Five of the 10 studies looked at the link between a Western diet and asthma morbidity. Three of the five studies indicated a correlation between a Western diet and experiencing asthma symptoms.

A Japanese study of 153 female college students indicated fast food consumption was associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing wheezing (OR 1.68; 95% CI, 1.02-2.78) or nocturnal breathlessness (OR 2.26; 95% CI, 1.06-4.79).

However, the current research indicates the evidence comparing a Western dietary pattern and asthma symptoms is limited.

“Future studies assessing relations between dietary patterns and asthma morbidity outcomes, such as symptoms, lung function and health care use, are needed,” the researchers wrote.

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.