Hypertension and diabetes mellitus as risk factors for asthma in Korean adults: The Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that may associate with other chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. We observed the effects of blood pressure (BP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and insulin on asthma in Korean adults. Methods: Data from5045 adults were taken fromthe 2015 Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and analysed using a multiple logistic regression model. Results: By age, the probability of asthma occurrence was 1.02 times higher (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.02 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.03]). Specifically, asthma occurrence was increased in individuals >66 years of age (aOR 2.40 [95% CI 1.22 to 4.72]). The probability of asthma occurrence in femaleswas higher than in males (aOR 1.73 [95% CI 1.02 to 2.84]). Hypertension and systolic blood pressure (SBP)were found to increase the probability of asthma occurrence by 1.43- and 1.03-fold, respectively. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was another factor that increased with the occurrence of asthma (aOR 1.75 [95% CI 1.06 to 3.02]). The probability of asthma occurrence was not increased with the FBG level, whereas HbA1c (aOR 1.38 [95% CI 1.03 to 1.84]) and insulin levels (aOR 1.02 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.04]) were shown to increase the occurrence of asthma. Conclusions: Age, sex, hypertension, SBP, DM, HbA1c and insulin levels are all factors that may influence the occurrence of asthma in Korean adults. In particular, hypertension and diabetes emerge from the present study as potential associated factors for the development of asthma.