FAT: It gets in your lungs
October 29, 2019 • 1 min read
-- Chafing thighs, muffin tops, and fleshy wasp nests could be the least of your worries.
Australian researchers have discovered fatty tissue in the lungs of overweight people for the first time, possibly explaining why obese people are more likely to suffer from asthma.
In the study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, researchers collected lung samples from 52 people and put 1,400 airways under the microscope. They found adipose (fatty) tissue in the walls of airways, with greater deposits showing up in people with a higher body mass index.
Fifteen had no reported asthma, 21 had asthma, but died of other causes, and 16 died of the condition.
Researchers suggest that the increase in fat appears to alter the normal structure of the airways, causing inflammation in the lungs – possibly explaining the increased risk of asthma in overweight or obese people.
Lung experts said it would be interesting to see if the effect could be reversed by weight loss.