A new childhood asthma phenotype: obese with early menarche.

Abstract

Three concomitant phenomena occur in the later years of childhood: increases in the incidence ofasthma, obesity and early menarche. This article is an overview of the current epidemiologic, basic,genetic and epigenetic evidence about this relationship. As a consequence we propose that obese girlswho have an early menarche ( 11 years of age) constitute a new asthma phenotype in childhood. Futurestudies need to be carried out in order to find the best control and treatment of this new asthmaphenotype.