Risk and impact of chronic cough in obese individuals from the general population.

There is dose-response relationship between BMI and chronic cough, and chronic cough risk is twofold to threefold higher in obese individuals from the general population. This increased risk was partly mediated by GERD, low vegetable intake and occupational exposure, supporting that there may be benefit to gain by ameliorating some of these factors in obese individuals with chronic cough.