Scientists from Rutgers University found that obesity changes how airway muscles function, which increases the risk of developing asthma. The research is published in the Journal of Physiology—Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology and was conducted by Reynold Panettieri Jr. et al. The prevalence of asthma and obesity—as both separate and coexisting conditions—has grown considerably in the United States in recent years. Obesity is a major risk factor for asthma, in part, because of the systemic and localized inflammation of the airways that occurs in people with a high body mass index. People with obesity also manifest a higher risk of severe asthma, decreased disease control, and decreased response to corticosteroids therapy. To read the full story.