More than four million adolescents in the United States have asthma, and many more youth who have not received official diagnosis of this airway disease still experience wheezing. Adolescence includes a period of important physiologic changes, including accelerated growth towards peak lung function—a stage in life that may be particularly susceptible to environmental exposures, which may impact development and contribute to chronic respiratory disease in adulthood. Adolescence also represents a critical period for the formation of potentially lifelong patterns in diet, as habits established during this time predict food preferences in adulthood.
Study finds youth exposed to environmental tobacco smoke had lower wheezing risk when on a higher quality diet
More than four million adolescents in the United States have asthma, and many more youth who have not received official diagnosis of this airway disease still experience wheezing. Adolescence includes a period of important physiologic changes, including accelerated growth towards peak lung function—a stage in life that may be particularly susceptible to environmental exposures, which may impact development and contribute to chronic respiratory disease in adulthood. Adolescence also represents a critical period for the formation of potentially lifelong patterns in diet, as habits established during this time predict food preferences in adulthood.