Like most things, diet and lifestyle play an important role in health. A new study out of China underscores that point and the link between oxidative balance scores (OBS) and mortality rates in asthma patients.
The study, “Association of Oxidative Balance Scores With Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Asthma,” examined the protective effects of a diet rich in antioxidants and a healthy lifestyle. The study was recently published in Nature.
Lead researcher Zhao Wei-Li, MD, PhD, professor of hematology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said OBS is a valuable tool for health care providers in guiding dietary and lifestyle recommendations for asthma patients.
Zhao Wei-Li, MD, PhD
Researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 1999 to 2020 to evaluate 4,639 participants with an average age of 42.55 years. The research was designed to explore the relationship between OBS and mortality in this high-risk group. OBS is a composite measure that evaluates the balance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants in an individual’s diet and lifestyle.
According to the study’s results, researchers found that higher OBS quartiles were associated with significantly lower risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Specifically, participants with asthma who scored in the highest OBS quartile had a 63% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 57% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to those in the lowest quartile.
The findings supported the commonly held belief that diet and lifestyle interventions can have a positive impact on asthma management, according to researchers. Antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, along with regular physical activity were identified as key factors contributing to higher OBS and improved survival rates. The study also noted that the protective effects of OBS were more pronounced in obese asthma patients, suggesting that weight management could further enhance the benefits of an antioxidant diet. Additionally, the study reported that women showed a stronger protective effect from higher OBS compared to men.
Although the study offers promising insights, researchers acknowledged limitations, including the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported dietary data. Further research, particularly large-scale randomized controlled trials, is needed to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.
