Can Diet- and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss Improve Asthma Control in Adults?

Exclusion Criteria

• •Any of the following will exclude participants from the study:
• •Inability to speak, read or understand English;
• •Intermittent asthma, defined as either seasonal asthma or (daytime asthma symptoms \< 2x/week and nocturnal symptoms \< 2x/month and no use of long-term control medications);
• •Diagnosis of COPD (emphysema or chronic bronchitis) on the current medical problem list or suggested by spirometry at baseline;
• •Unwilling to attempt weight loss, including unwillingness to perform self-monitoring;
• •Body weight change (+/-) \> 10 pounds or use of weight-loss medications in the preceding 3 months;
• •Inability to perform pulmonary function tests by spirometry in a consistent manner;
• •Significant medical co-morbidities, including uncontrolled metabolic disorders (e.g., thyroid, diabetes, renal, liver), unstable heart disease, heart failure, and ongoing substance abuse;
• •Diagnosis of psychiatric disorders that would limit adequate informed consent or ability to comply with study protocol;
• •Regular use of medications that can cause weight gain (e.g., oral corticosteroids, insulin, certain oral hypoglycemics, certain antidepressants, etc.);
• •Under treatment for cancer or another condition that may prevent completion of follow-up;
• •Diagnosis of a terminal illness and/or in hospice care;
• •Use of a pacemaker or other implanted medical devices;
• •Pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or lactating;
• •Actively enrolled in a care management program focused on weight loss at Kaiser or elsewhere;
• •Already enrolled or planning to enroll in a research study that would limit full participation in the study or confound the observation and interpretation of the study's findings;
• •Family household member already enrolled in the study;
• •No longer receiving primary care from Kaiser, or planning not to do so within the study period;
• •PCP determination that the study is inappropriate or unsafe for the patient;
• •Investigator discretion for clinical safety or protocol adherence reasons.