Anne E. Dixon

TL;DR: This article reviews the literature addressing the relationship between obesity and lung function, and studies addressing how the mechanical and inflammatory effects of obesity might lead to changes in lung mechanics and pulmonary function in obese adults and children.

TL;DR: Weight loss has dichotomous effects on airway physiology and T-cell function typically involved in the pathogenesis of asthma, suggesting that obesity produces a unique phenotype of asthma that will require a distinct therapeutic approach.

TL;DR: There is an urgent need for research to better understand the mechanisms of asthma in the obese, and to develop new therapies specifically targeted to this unique patient population.

TL;DR: Obesity is associated with increased markers of inflammation in serum and adipose tissue, and yet decreased airway inflammation in obese people with asthma; these patterns reverse with bariatric surgery.