Body build and atopy☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
METHODS
The analysis is based on a geographically defined 1-year birth cohort of 12,058 live births in northern Finland in 1966.4 In 1997, 8463 subjects who survived and were living in northern Finland or in the capital area were invited for a clinical examination, and 6025 (71.2%) attended. The sensitivity to the 3 most common allergens in Finland (ie, cat, birch, and timothy grass) and also to house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) were assessed by skin prick tests, together with histamine
RESULTS
Current atopy was positively associated with current BMI but negatively with maternal BMI and had a U-shaped association with ponderal index at birth (Table I).
. Adjusted effects of current BMI, ponderal index at birth, and maternal BMI on atopy at age 31 yearsEmpty Cell Empty Cell Current BMI (kg/m2)* ≤24.8 >24.8 Prevalence (%) Adjusted OR (95% CI)† Prevalence (%) Adjusted OR (95% CI)† (n = 3003) (n = 2254) Ponderal index at birth (100 g/cm3), in tertiles 1st, <2.64 (n = 1751) 30.4 35.5 1.23 (1.01-1.52) 1.68 (1.33-2.11) 2nd,
DISCUSSION
The current results suggest that atopy is more common among those with large current BMI, who were born more lean or more obese than average, and those whose mothers had low BMI. To our knowledge, this is the first report of combined effect of maternal BMI as well as size at birth and current body build on atopy in adulthood. We do not know what could be the mechanisms underlying the observed associations. However, current obesity has been implicated as a risk factor of asthma.1, 2, 3 A
References (5)
- et al.
Birth weight, body mass index and asthma in young adults
Thorax
(1999) - et al.
Association between body mass index and allergy in teenage girls in Taiwan
Clin Exp Allergy
(1999)
Cited by (0)
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Supported by Finnish Academy, National Public Health Institute, and University of Oulu.
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Reprint requests: Baizhuang Xu, MD, PhD, Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, PO Box 95, 70701, Kuopio, Finland.
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J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105:393-4.
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0091-6749/2000 $12.00 + 0 1/54/103420