Impulse oscillometry may be of value in detecting early effects of obesity on airway resistance

Abstract

Background and objective Obesity as a major nutritional problem is badly associated with respiratory compliance. The effortless technique such as impulse oscillometry system (IOS) could have a supremacy value over the commonly used pulmonary function tests in assessing the effects of BMI on distal airway function, which is what we want to evaluate. Participants and methods Forty-five healthy individuals were classified according to their BMI into three groups: normal, overweight (OWG), and obese (OG) groups; all of them were submitted to the evaluation of lung function (spirometry and IOS). Results From all spirometric parameters, only forced expiratory flow (FEF)25–75 (L) showed the effect of obesity specially with higher;Deg;BM;Deg;I than 35 kg/m2 (OG) on respiratory airways, the same did (R5) reading in IOS and added beyond to it, Frees reading which were sensitive enough to show the effect of obesity even with a;Deg;BM;Deg;I of less than 35 kg/m2. Conclusion Obesity significantly correlated with increasing airway resistance, and the IOS reading were more sensitive than spirometry in early detection.