Mechanistic Understanding of the Effect of Obesity on Asthma and Allergy

Abstract

Obesity and asthma are two contemporaneous epidemics in the world today. Obesity is also a risk factor for asthma. This special issue highlights the mechanistic underpinnings of the increased risk of asthma in obese individuals. With increasing evidence that “obese-asthma” subjects respond poorly to conventional asthma treatment, this is an essential prelude towards the development of novel and innovative prevention and treatment strategies. The multiplicity of mechanisms by which obesity may cause or exacerbate asthma, or even vice versa, makes this a complex topic. This special issue compiles nine state-of-the-art papers, most of which are meticulously performed reviews of the available current literature that explore different aspects of this multidimensional subject.