In a study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, researchers found that women being treated for asthma are more likely to miscarry and need fertility treatment to get pregnant. The study, presented by Dr. Anne Vejen Hansen from Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, included 769,880 Danish women born from 1976 to 1999, following them from 1994 to 2017. Women who took anti-asthma medication on a regular basis were classified as asthmatic, and the researchers found that women with asthma had a higher rate of foetal loss and an increased use of fertility treatment compared to those without asthma.
Despite the higher rates of foetal loss and fertility treatment use, the study also found that the proportion of women with asthma who subsequently gave birth was 77%, suggesting that asthma does not seem to affect the overall number of live births. The study also found that the more severe the asthma and the more flare-ups experienced by the women, the more likely they were to need fertility treatment. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but the researchers suggest it may be related to systemic inflammation throughout the body, including in the reproductive organs of women with asthma.
Professor Lena Uller, Chair of the ERS group on Airway Pharmacology and Treatment at Lund University, Sweden, who was not involved in the study, highlighted the importance of managing asthma in reproductive-aged women. She noted that while the study’s findings are reassuring in terms of women with asthma having the same live birth rate as those without asthma, it is still important for women with asthma to consider potential reproductive challenges in their family planning. Women with asthma who are concerned about their fertility should speak to their doctor about their concerns and to work on controlling their asthma effectively.
The results of this study also emphasize the importance of managing asthma in women of reproductive age, as uncontrolled asthma may contribute to fertility issues. Professor Uller pointed out that the findings suggest that helping women with asthma to get their asthma under control could potentially reduce the challenges they face in terms of fertility. The study’s results also highlight the need for further research, as the researchers plan to investigate the possible effect of male asthma on fertility in a similar registry-based study in the future.
Overall, while women with asthma may face higher rates of foetal loss and fertility treatment use, the study suggests that most women with asthma are still able to become pregnant and have babies. Managing asthma effectively is crucial for women of reproductive age, and those with asthma should work closely with their healthcare providers to control their condition and address any concerns about fertility. Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between asthma and fertility, both in women and potentially in men as well.
