Men who carry excess pounds also carry an excess risk of pneumonia.
Men who carry excess pounds also carry an excess risk of pneumonia.
Rates of hospital admission for pneumonia have been on the rise over the last decade. At the same time, more and more people worldwide are putting on unhealthy amounts of weight, which has fueled increased rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma. The few studies that have attempted to link these trends in obesity and pneumonia have produced conflicting results.
To see whether or not obesity raises pneumonia risk, researchers looked at data on 22,578 male and 25,973 female Danes, aged between 50 and 64 years with no previous history of chronic disease or hospital stay for pneumonia. The participants were grouped according to their body mass indexes. Among men, 1,087 (nearly 5%) were admitted to a hospital with pneumonia between enrollment in the mid-1990s and the end of the study in April 2008 while a slightly lower rate of pneumonia was seen among the women: 1,025 of 27,973 (nearly 4% ).
After accounting for factors such as lifestyle and education, moderately obese men - those with a BMI between 30 and 35 - had a 40 percent greater risk of pneumonia compared with those of normal weight (BMI of less than 25). It was found that men who were severely obese, having a BMI greater than 35, were twice as likely to get pneumonia. No differences were seen in risks among the women.
When the researchers considered chronic diseases diagnosed during the study, the effect of obesity among the men, too, disappeared. It seemed that obesity's role was playing out through related ailments. Diabetes, for example, has been associated with a 25 to 75 percent increased risk of hospitalization for pneumonia. In addition to its relationship with chronic disease, there are other routes by which obesity could impact pneumonia risk: a decrease in immunity, a higher risk of aspiration, reduced lung volume, and an altered ventilation pattern.
Rates of hospital admission for pneumonia have been on the rise over the last decade. At the same time, more and more people worldwide are putting on unhealthy amounts of weight, which has fueled increased rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma. The few studies that have attempted to link these trends in obesity and pneumonia have produced conflicting results.
To see whether or not obesity raises pneumonia risk, researchers looked at data on 22,578 male and 25,973 female Danes, aged between 50 and 64 years with no previous history of chronic disease or hospital stay for pneumonia. The participants were grouped according to their body mass indexes. Among men, 1,087 (nearly 5%) were admitted to a hospital with pneumonia between enrollment in the mid-1990s and the end of the study in April 2008 while a slightly lower rate of pneumonia was seen among the women: 1,025 of 27,973 (nearly 4% ).
After accounting for factors such as lifestyle and education, moderately obese men - those with a BMI between 30 and 35 - had a 40 percent greater risk of pneumonia compared with those of normal weight (BMI of less than 25). It was found that men who were severely obese, having a BMI greater than 35, were twice as likely to get pneumonia. No differences were seen in risks among the women.
When the researchers considered chronic diseases diagnosed during the study, the effect of obesity among the men, too, disappeared. It seemed that obesity's role was playing out through related ailments. Diabetes, for example, has been associated with a 25 to 75 percent increased risk of hospitalization for pneumonia. In addition to its relationship with chronic disease, there are other routes by which obesity could impact pneumonia risk: a decrease in immunity, a higher risk of aspiration, reduced lung volume, and an altered ventilation pattern.
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