Abstract

To investigate the relationship between nutritional status and lung function, 75 hospitalized COPD patients were evaluated. Anthropometric measurements (percent ideal body weight (PIW), body mass index (BMI), triceps skin fold thickness (TSF), arm muscle circumference (AMC)), respiratory function parameters (FEV1, FVC, VC, FEV1/FVC, pH, pCO2, pO2), biochemical parameters (serum prealbumin, transferrin, albumin) and immunological parameter (total lymphocyte count (TLC) were worked out and nutritional index (NI) was calculated.

According to NI, we determined malnutrition in 68% of COPD patients. PIW, BMI, prealbumin levels were found to be significantly different for cases with emphysema and chronic bronchtis (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.01). According to their FEV1levels, the cases were classified as mild, moderate and severe COPD (stageI-II-III COPD), using ATS classification. A significant difference was found in albumin, transferrin, prealbumin, TLC, TSF, and AMC levels between mild and severe COPD groups (between stage 1-3 COPD) (p<0.01). There was no difference observed in BMI, PIW levels between the different stages of COPD. According to NI levels, PO2, FEV1 were observed to be significantly higher in cases with NI<0.5 (p<0.05).

We determined that respiratory functions were closely related to nutritional parameters in COPD cases.