Mohammed Soheb Sadath Ansari1
BACKGROUND
COPD has evolved overtime as a clinical syndrome rather than a disease that is limited to respiratory system and presently the systemic manifestations and comorbid illnesses are much better understood and known. Globally, as well as in India, the burden of COPD continues to increase and by 2030 it is expected to be the third leading cause of death. Although, the back bone of therapy is pharmacotherapy, the role of rehabilitation and management of systemic problems in COPD is increasing. One of the components of management of COPD other than the lungs include maintenance of nutrition and body weight of COPD patients as it has been shown in many studies that BMI tends to fall as the disease progresses and can be considered as a marker of severity. In this study, we have tried to study the nutritional state of COPD patients and correlate it with disease severity. In this study, the COPD patients were graded into three groups and percentage of patients with low normal and below normal BMI were studied in each group.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 108 COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients diagnosed based on smoking history and spirometry with post bronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.7 were taken into the study at Bhaskar Medical College between 2015 and 2016. The severity of COPD was graded based on FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in first second) values recorded from spirometry after calibrating the spirometer daily with 3 litre syringe. The height and weight were recorded and BMI calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metre square and then the BMI was graded as per WHO guidelines.
RESULTS
The BMI was low normal and below normal in 18.75% of patients with mild and moderate disease group (FEV1 50-80%). In patients with severe disease group (FEV1 30-50%), the BMI was low normal and below normal in 43.3% and in very severe disease group (FEV1 <30%), the BMI was low normal and below normal in 57.14%. The results has shown that as the disease progresses the BMI falls and is an important marker of severity of disease.
CONCLUSION
In COPD patients, as the disease progresses, BMI falls and it is an important marker of severity of disease and reflects poor nutritional status of patients with severe disease.
