Key clinical point: Circulating sex hormones play a role in sex differences in asthma among adults and obesity modifies the effect of such hormones on asthma in women and men.

Major finding: Women whose serum testosterone levels were in the second and fourth quartiles had 30%-45% significantly lower odds of having current asthma than were those whose serum testosterone level was in the lowest quartile.

Study details: A cross-sectional study of data from 7,615 adults who participated in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Disclosures: One coauthor has received research materials from Merck and GlaxoSmithKline (inhaled steroids), as well as Pharmavite (vitamin D and placebo capsules), to provide medications free of cost to participants in National Institutes for Health–funded studies, unrelated to the current work. The other authors reported no conflicts of interest.