[Nutritional assessment of chronic pulmonary emphysema and the significant relation of malnutrition to pulmonary function and respiratory muscle function]

Abstract

We assessed nutritional status in 30 patients with pulmonary emphysema and 60 healthy controls. The relationship between nutritional status, pulmonary function and respiratory muscle function was also studied. Anthropometric measures, visceral proteins such as PA and RPB, and the Fischer ratio (BCAA/AAA), an index of imbalance of amino acids were significantly lower in the patients. The incidence of moderately malnourished patients with less than 80% of IBW was 40%. The incidence of hyporetinol-binding protein was 40%. 48% of the patients were found to show an amino acid imbalance. These findings suggested that protein-energy malnutrition in association with amino acid imbalance occurred commonly in patients with pulmonary emphysema. FEV1% correlated significantly with some anthropometric indices and the Fischer ratio. Respiratory muscle function, assessed by P1 max, correlated significantly with some anthropometric indices and grasp strength. These results suggested that the degree of airway obstruction and respiratory muscle function was associated with malnutrition characterized by the reduction of the Fischer ratio.