Is the cost of asthma treatment for obese people significantly higher?
Overweight and obese patients have been found to spend more money on asthma treatment than normal-weight people, according to researchers from Singapore who have been studying this issue for 10 years. According to scientists, the average cost of treatment per year for patients with normal body weight is $ 605, and for people with obesity, the price can rise to $ 795. It has also been observed that smokers spend more money on asthma treatment than non-smokers. This study could help reduce patients’ costs by advising them on weight management and smoking cessation.
There is another aspect of this problem: the fact is that many drugs are distributed evenly throughout the body. And the greater the body weight, the lower the concentration of the drug is created in the pathological focus. Therefore, when prescribing treatment, body weight should be taken into account and the dose should be selected taking into account the uniform distribution of the drug. Of course, this rule does not apply to all drugs, but only to systemic drugs.
Commentary: I remember the famous “Quit smoking, get up on skis!” Fortunately, it is still snowing outside the window and you can have time to combine business with pleasure. In addition, a rational diet and weight loss can significantly reduce the cost of asthma treatment.