Nutritional status and its relationship with different dimensions of functional status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Estado nutricional e sua relação com diferentes dimensões do estado funcional em pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To investigate whether there is a relationship between nutritional status and limitations in activities of daily living in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Methods:

A cross sectional study was conducted from July to December 2011 in Santa Catarina. Seventeen chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients [age (years) = 67±8; forced expiratory volume in one second (% of the predicted value) = 38.6±16.1; body mass index (kg/m²⁾ = 24.7±5.4] underwent the assessments: pulmonary function (spirometry); functional status (London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale, physical activities in daily life, and Glittre ADL-Test; nutritional status (anthropometry and dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry).

Results:

The total score of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale correlated with fat-free mass (r=-0.50; p=0.04) and lean mass (r=-0.50; p=0.04). The lying time in physical activities in daily life correlated with bone mineral content (r=-0.50; p=0.04). Nutricional status was not correlated with time spent on Glittre ADL-test.

Conclusion:

Variables that reflect muscle mass depletion are related to variables of self-reported limitation in activities of daily living. Bone mineral content is correlated with time patients spend lying, reflecting the impact of inactive postures on the nutritional status of these patients.

Keywords:
Activities of daily living; Evaluation; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Nutricional status