Asthma rates have been on the rise around the globe. Medical experts point fingers at the simultaneous rise in obesity, the continued pollution of soil, water and air, and the lack of a healthy diet as possible factors in the asthma epidemic. Citing the seriousness of the numbers, researchers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, feel that it is very important to put some effective treatment measures in place as soon as possible. But how, exactly, to find an effective treatment for asthma since no one cure has yet been found?
The researchers decided that the best cure for the breathing condition would be one that combines many therapies. So they devised a study that evaluated the short- and long-term results of interdisciplinary therapy on inflammatory biomarkers and lung function in asthmatic obese adolescents.
Seventy-six participants were recruited for the study, including 50 non-asthmatics. The researchers measured serum levels of “adiponectin” (a protein hormone that has anti-inflammatory effects on the cells lining the walls of blood vessels), “leptin” (a hormone that has a central role in fat metabolism) and “C-reactive protein.” C-reactive protein is not normally found in the blood of healthy people. It appears after an injury, infection, or inflammation and disappears when the injury heals or the infection or inflammation goes away.
(For more information on how to boost your adiponectin levels, read Clean Fat Out of Your Arteries with This Herb)
The research team evaluated asthma and lung function. Obese patients were submitted to a one-year weight-loss interdisciplinary intervention consisting of medical, nutritional, exercise, and psychological therapy.
The researchers found that, after the interdisciplinary intervention, lung function improved significantly in both groups. Most importantly, there was an increase in adiponectin, along with a reduction in C-reactive protein and leptin concentrations in the asthmatic patients. The researchers also found a reduction in asthma severity after treatment. In addition, the increase in adiponectin independently improved lung function after therapy in both groups.
The research team concluded that interdisciplinary therapy resulted in beneficial changes in inflammatory biomarkers and lung function in asthmatic and non-asthmatic obese adolescents.
Follow this health advice: if you or someone you know suffers from asthma, try combining therapies to get relief from stressful breathing problems.