2023-06-20 08:56:41
Many underestimate obesity as a risk factor for respiratory complications. Above all, the abdominal fat tissue puts a strain on the lungs. The expiratory reserve volume is often the first to be affected.
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The distribution pattern of body fat is decisive for the burden on the lungs from obesity: In the abdominal type, there are more respiratory complications than in the gynecoid type. The fat impedes thoracic excursions and the increased pressure in the abdomen slows down the diaphragm, explain Dr. Neeraj Shah and Dr. Georgios Kaltsakas of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The elasticity of the lungs also decreases.
The disease primarily affects the expiratory reserve volume, but also a number of other parameters as the disease progresses, the experts write. Total lung capacity (TLC) is usually reduced only at extreme BMI values above 40. Therefore, in obese subjects with reduced TLC, one should first look for other pathologies.
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