Body mass index in COPD: what relationship?

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) can lead, during its evolution, to muscle mass loss or obesity. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the body mass index on the functional severity of COPD. Methods: In this study 197 patients were included. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. COPD was confirmed by spirometry and reversibility test and classified according to GOLD 2010. Results: In the study population, the median age was 64 years (32-89) with a sex-ratio at 0,68.The median BMI was 26,4 kg/m2 (15,4-52,2). Underweight was present in 8,6%, overweight in 24,9% and obesity in 28,4% of patients. COPD was classified in: stage 1 (n=21), stage 2 (n=86), stage 3 (n=67) and stage 4 (n=23). BMI was correlated with female gender (p Conclusion: Nutrition and body composition are essential to curb the evolution of COPD. Indeed, a BMI