New Irish research is aiming to improve the lives of obese people with asthma.

Obese people who have asthma do not respond to their asthma medication in the same way as non-obese people, which can have major consequences for their health.

However, the Asthma Society of Ireland and the Irish Thoracic Society have announced that the winner of their Asthma Research Bursary for 2019 is Dr David Watchorn of University College Dublin (UCD). He will be using this bursary to fund his research into investigating whether a particular hormone can be used to improve the effectiveness of asthma medication for people living with both asthma and obesity.

"In general, people who have asthma and are obese do not respond to asthma medication in the same way non-obese people with asthma do. My study aims to find a solution to this problem by looking at the effects of a hormone, already used to treat type 2 diabetes, which may potentially hold the key to helping countless people who have asthma and are obese," Dr Watchorn explained.

He noted that while links between obesity and asthma have been recognised for decades, ‘we still have limited understanding as to the reasons for this link'.

"In the mainstay of asthma treatment, inhaled corticosteroids are less effective at controlling asthma in obese individuals than in non-obese individuals, thus there is an unmet clinical need for new treatments in this group," he said.

The study aims to research the effects of the hormone, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), on people with asthma who are also obese. This hormone is already used to treat type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity. It works by suppressing appetite and slowing the emptying of the stomach. It also has effects on other hormones that control blood sugar levels.

"Studies in mice have shown that GLP-1 appears to reduce the classic 'allergic' inflammation that causes asthma and it is plausible that it may benefit asthma by other means also.

"We have recruited patients with asthma who are currently taking (or are due to start) GLP-1 therapy for its licensed use, i.e. type 2 diabetes and/or morbidity obesity, in order to gain a better understanding of how it may affect some of the inflammatory pathways that are known to be implicated in asthma," Dr Watchorn explained.

The Asthma Society of Ireland said that it is delighted to be supporting this research, noting that the calibre of bursary applications was extremely high..

"Dr Watchorn's application stood out above the rest and was chosen by a panel made up of members of the Asthma Society's Medical Advisory Group and the Irish Thoracic Society.

"Asthma has now evolved from being a solitary disease that is treated the same in all people with asthma, to a more varied disease in both how it affects people and the underlying mechanisms causing it," Ms O'Connor said.

She pointed out that there are 390,000 people with asthma in Ireland and asthma deaths are on the increase, with one person now dying every six days as a result of the condition.

"That is why it is so important for us to support new research through our bursary and to help us to learn more about potential life-changing treatments for people who have asthma and are also obese," she added.

The bursary, which aims to improve the lives of people with asthma and their families, is a joint collaboration between the Asthma Society of Ireland, the Irish Thoracic Society and Novartis Ireland and is worth €10,000.

The yearly bursary is open to all medical and allied healthcare professionals based in the Republic of Ireland, who are also members of the Irish Thoracic Society.

Dr Watchorn's study will be completed this year.