Why Chronic Bronchitis isn’t a lung disease (in a way)

We usually talk about chronic bronchitis as a lung disease. And the main treatment focus is to avoid air pollutants such as smoking and air dust.

But, while smoking is decreasing, the cases of chronic bronchitis are sky rocketing. In fact, chronic respiratory diseases have become the third most common cause of death worldwide.

So what really causes bronchitis and how should we treat it? A new study in BMC Public Health reveals a shocking answer to these questions.

The authors of this study decided to examine the relationship between these diseases and obesity, since the latter is increasing globally and could be a cause of respiratory conditions due to the low-grade inflammation it causes.

They grouped chronic inflammatory airway diseases (CIAD) together, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, of which chronic bronchitis is also a component.

They analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2013 and 2018. They explored the relationship between obesity and CIAD, focusing on both the risk of developing these diseases and the mortality rates among those affected.

The study included 15,124 adults aged 20 and above, categorized based on their body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

This is what they found:

1. Both underweight and obese individuals had a higher risk of developing CIAD compared to those with normal weight. Specifically, the former increased participants’ risk by 39% and the latter by 42%.

2. For every unit increase in BMI, the incidence of CIAD increased by 2.7%. Similarly, for each unit increase in waist circumference, the incidence of CIAD increased by 1.2%. This shows a clear link between higher body fat and the likelihood of developing chronic respiratory issues.

3. Underweight people were 2.44 times more likely to die prematurely than normal-weight people if they had CIAD.

4. Strangely, compared to normal weight or underweight people, overweight individuals were 42% less likely to die early, while obese people reduced their risk by 41% IF they had already developed CIAD.

These findings suggest a complex relationship between body weight and inflammatory chronic respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis.

While being underweight can increase both the risk of developing CIAD and the likelihood of mortality, being overweight or mildly obese appears to have a protective effect against mortality in those who already have CIAD.

Therefore, to avoid chronic bronchitis and its ilk, it’s best to keep your weight at a healthy level and your BMI in the normal category. But if you already have a chronic respiratory disease, its best to keep your weight slightly above normal to reduce your risk of early death.

This also shows that there is a lot you can do to treat chronic bronchitis other than stop smoking and avoid pollution. In fact, thousands of readers have already completely healed their chronic bronchitis using the simple all-natural steps explained here…