Purpose. To evaluate the relationship of the visceral and subcutaneous fat areas (VFA and SFA) measured by multispiral computed tomography (MSCT) and clinical characteristics of asthma in overweight and obese patients.

Material and methods. We examined 78 asthma patients, which were divided into the groups: the 1st – 25 patients (BMI 18,5-24,9 kg/m2), the 2nd – 21 patients (BMI 25-29,9 kg/m2), the 3rd – 32 patients (BMI≥30 kg/m2). All patients underwent anthropometry and MSCT to measure the VFA and SFA at the level L4-L5 by Aquilion One 640 scanner (Canon, Japan). The follow-up was 1 year.

Results. In the 2nd and 3rd groups women with late onset of asthma was prevalent; in the same groups we observed a more severe course of asthma in comparison with the 1st group (p=0.016). With an increase in BMI there were deterioration of asthma control at the end of follow-up (p=0.004) and tendency to an increase in the number of patients with asthma exacerbations during follow-up (p=0.075). The VFA and SFA increased with increasing BMI (p<0.05); the VFA/SFA ratio in the groups was comparable. We found the direct relationship of the SFA and inverse – of the VFA/SFA ratio – with the risk of uncontrolled asthma at the end of the year in asthma patients with BMI≥25 kg/m2 (AUC=0.83 and AUC=0.9, respectively). In asthma patients with BMI≥30 kg/m2 we revealed the direct relationships of the VFA with the risk of more severe asthma course (AUC=0.86), the SFA with the risk of asthma exacerbations during follow-up (AUC=0.77).

Conclusion. The SFA is prognostically significant for assessing the risk of uncontrolled asthma (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and the risk of asthma exacerbations (BMI≥30 kg/m2), and the VFA – for assessing the risk of more severe course of asthma in obese patients.