Article: Obesity Linked to Poor Lung Function in Men

Wednesday April 4 6:34 PM ET Obesity Linked to Poor Lung Function in Men By Charnicia E. Huggins NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A little fat around the middle in elderly men may not just be a cosmetic hazard--it could also put them at risk for poor lung function, results of a new study suggest. Increasing abdominal body fat combined with decreasing muscle mass during the aging process--a phenomenon known as sarcopenia obesity--may significantly reduce lung function in the elderly, according to study author Dr. Mauro Zamboni of the University of Verona in Italy. ``Our study shows that it is necessary to prevent the age-related increase in body fat, also the decrease in muscle mass,' he told Reuters Health in an interview. In a small study of 97 Italian men aged 67 to 78, those with higher levels of body fat had less powerful lungs. The fatter men had lower forced expiratory volume, meaning the amount of air they were able to expel from their lungs in one second was lower than that of the slimmer men. In contrast, men with the greatest amounts of muscle mass were able to exhale more air, the authors report in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Higher body mass index (a figure that relates height to weight) and increased waist circumference were also associated with worse lung function. The association remained even after the investigators excluded participants who said they smoked. And although the study sample was limited to men, the findings may be applicable to women as well, Zamboni noted. ``A small reduction in the quantity of body fat mass, particularly at the abdominal level, may result in a significant improvement in lung function in the elderly,' Zamboni said. Therefore, it is important that elderly individuals ``stay active,' he said. ``An active life-style protects the elderly against muscle waste and helps to reduce body fat.' SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001;73:827-831.

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