Association between constipation and the development of asthma: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Constipation has been hypothesized to be associated with the increased risk of wheezing or asthma. However, the relation remains a subject of debate. We conducted this meta-analysis to assess whether constipation influences the risk of wheezing/asthma. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies published between 1955 and January 2022. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of each study. Results were pooled using fixed-effects models or random-effects models as appropriate. RESULTS: In total, 3 original articles with 178,661 participants, which met the criteria, were included in this meta-analysis. Constipation was associated with an increased risk of wheezing/asthma in later life (RR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.24–3.29, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis suggests an association between constipation and the subsequent development of wheezing/asthma. Well-designed and highly standardized prospective studies that adequately address concerns for potential confounding factors are required to validate the risk identified in our current meta-analysis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13223-022-00708-9.