Fat accumulates inside lungs of obese people

Researchers have found that fatty tissues accumulate in the airway walls, particularly in people who are overweight or obese.

The recently published study suggested that the fatty tissue alters the structure of people's airways and this could be one reason behind the increased risk of asthma.

The researchers of the study examined post-mortem samples of the lungs that had been donated for the research and stored in the Airway Tissue Biobank.

They studied samples from 52 people, including 15 who had no asthma, 21 who had the disease but died of other causes and 16 who died of asthma.

Using dyes to help visualise the structures of 1373 airways under a microscope, they identified and quantified any fatty tissue present.

They compared this data with each person's body mass index (BMI).

The result of the study also showed that fatty tissue accumulates in the walls of the airways.

The analysis by researchers revealed that the amount of fat present increases in line with increasing BMI.