Early Puberty Increases Asthma Risk In Girls
Early puberty in girls might be associated with poor lung function in later life. Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway have found that girls who have their first period at 10 years of age or earlier have two fold risk of developing asthma than girls who reach puberty at the normal age.
Early puberty increases asthma risk
Hormonal changes are often associated with changes in the lung function and asthma. According to health experts, boys have a greater risk of developing asthma before puberty. However, in girls, risk of developing asthma increases after puberty.
In the Norwegian study, researchers have tried to find whether age of menstruation in women affected the risk of asthma and respiratory illnesses in adult life. The participants in the study were between 26 and 58 years of age.
Researchers found that the lung function was worse in women who started menstruating at the age of 10 or earlier. Lung function is tested by the volume of air one exhales in one second after taking a deep breath.
Moreover, compared to women who had their first periods at 13, women who had an early period were about three times likely to develop at least three symptoms of asthma such as shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. Early puberty also increases the risk of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, characterized by excessive sensitivity to substances inhaled, leading to constriction of the airways.
Researchers have noted that poor lung function might be associated with body size. Women who had early puberty tend to be shorter than women who had their first period at 13 years of age.
Taller people tend to enjoy better lung function than shorter people. Obesity and overweight, often linked to early puberty, might increase the risk of asthma in adult life by stimulating inflammation of the airways.
Causes of early puberty
The average age of puberty in girls a century age was 16 to 17 years. Studies have shown that the puberty age is rapidly declining. Although, the normal age of puberty is 13 years, incidence of early puberty is rising over the past few decades.
Health experts blame childhood obesity for early menarche. A high calorie diet rich in fatty foods and processed meat and a sedentary lifestyle might increase the risk of early puberty.
