Cured meat-asthma link found

Wednesday December 21st, 2016

Eating large amounts of cured meat may trigger the worsening of asthma symptoms, either directly or via increased body mass index, researchers say today.

Dr Zhen Li of the Paul Brousse Hospital in Villejuif, France, and colleagues investigated the possible link between cured meat intake - ham, sausages and dried sausage - and worsening of asthma symptoms in adults, using figures from 971 adult participants in a seven-year French study.

Eating four or more portions of cured meat a week was linked to a 76% higher chance of worsening asthma symptoms, compared with less than one serving, they report. But they found that this link was mediated by body mass index.

In Thorax today (21 December), they write: "Cured meat, an important component of the Western diet, has recently been classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation. High cured meat intake is a risk factor not only for cancer, but also for several chronic diseases and all-cause mortality."

Regarding lung health, frequent cured meat intake is associated with lung cancer, decreased lung function and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, they add.

This may be due to its high nitrite content leading to nitrosative stress related airway inflammation, they suggest. But obesity is also a likely risk factor for asthma risk and exacerbations.

Only 14% of the link they found between high cured meat intake and worsening asthma symptoms over time was due to body mass index, they calculate, "suggesting a deleterious role of cured meat independent of body mass index".

"This research provides a novel analytic approach regarding the role of body mass index in the diet-asthma association," they conclude.

Li, Z. et al. Cured meat intake is associated with worsening asthma symptoms. Thorax 21 December 2016 doi 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-209375 [abstract]

Tags: Allergies & Asthma | Diet & Food | Europe | Respiratory

Printer friendly page