Roflumilast May Increase Risk of Exacerbations When Used to Treat Poorly Controlled Asthma in People with Obesity.

Roflumilast had no effect on asthma control. Of concern, roflumilast was associated with an increased risk of exacerbation in in obese individuals with poorly controlled asthma. These results highlight the importance of studying interventions in different sub-populations of people with asthma, particularly people with obesity and asthma who may respond differently to medications than lean people with asthma. Weight loss of at least 5% was associated with improved asthma control indicating that interventions- other than roflumilast -promoting weight loss may have efficacy for treatment of poorly controlled asthma in people with obesity.