Exercise intolerance in obese children--is it asthma?

This is a pilot study designed to examine the frequency of asthma in obese children who have exertional dyspnea. Obese children who complained of breathlessness with exercise and who denied asthma were invited to enroll. If there was evidence of airflow limitation on spirometry, nebulized albuterol was administered and spirometry was repeated. If there was no significant improvement or if the baseline spirometry was normal, exercise testing was performed. A total of 20 patients (ages from 8 to 16 years) with BMI from 22 to 61 were enrolled. Of the 19 who completed the study, 9 (47.3%) met criteria for asthma. Recognizing and treating asthma may lead to improved exercise tolerance and improved weight status in these obese individuals.