Iron Deficit Anemia As a Risk Factor of Asthma

Abstract

Background: There are many risk factor for asthma occurrence like gender, atopy and infection. Trace elements like iron, magnesium and zinc play a role in decreasing airway hyperreponsiveness. Objective: To evaluate iron deficiency anemia as a risk factor for childhood asthma and its likely outcome on lung functions. Patients and Methods: Across-sectional comparative study was conducted on 200 children, 6–14 years old who admitted to the outpatient pediatric clinics and emergency department of Albatool Teaching hospital in Diyala governorate from Oct. 2017 to Oct 2018, they were categorized into: group I: 100 children with IDA-who was subdivided into group Ia: Asthmatic children and group I b: Non asthmatic children. Group II: 100 children without IDA, subdivided into group II a: asthmatic children and group II b: non-asthmatic children. Results: Children with asthma in group I a the male to female ratio was 1.75/1.0 and in group II b the ratio was 1.4/1.0.The anemic group with asthma constitute 66% of group I, while in group II the asthmatic children constituted 24%of included children. Anemic asthmatic children had significant difference regarding pulmonary function tests in comparison to non-anemic asthmatics. Conclusion: Anemic asthmatics group constituted 66%, and anemia had significant detrimental effects on pulmonary function tests in comparison to non-anemic asthmatics.