Lung de-recruitment in the allergic asthma of obesity: evidence from an anatomically based inverse model

Abstract

Using a novel anatomically based computational model to interpret oscillometry measurements of impedance, we show that respiratory system elastance is increased in obesity and is increased dramatically in individuals with obese allergic asthma. A significant component of this increased elastance in obese allergic asthma appears to be due to closure of small airways rather than alveolar atelectasis, and this closure is partially mitigated by albuterol. These findings potentially point to nonpharmacological therapies in obese allergic asthma aimed at recruiting closed airways.