Effect of obesity on lung function tests in South Indian population

Abstract

Background Obesity is a modern-day epidemic. Pulmonary function tests are likely to be compromised to varying degrees in these individuals, thus affecting their artificial ventilation under general anesthesia. It is thus important to study the pattern of pulmonary function in these individuals in a group likely to undergo surgery for varying reasons. Participants and methods A total of 30 male participants between 45 and 60 years of age attending the surgical outpatient clinic with a BMI of more than 25 kg/m 2 who qualified as obese were included in the study, and a similar number of participants with BMI less than 25 kg/m 2 were randomly selected as controls. Flow-volume loop, forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV 1 /FVC were recorded using a computerized spirometer. Results FEV 1 , FVC, and FEV 1 /FVC ratio measured in obese patients were significantly reduced ( P Conclusion The incidence of restrictive tendency is higher in obese individuals compared with controls. As the changes in respiratory mechanics due to obesity are almost completely reversible, early intervention in such patients will ensure lesser chance of complications on the operation table and postoperatively. With the advent of computerized spirometry, analysis of flow-volume loops is indeed of great help to the obese.