Nutritional repletion in malnourished patients with emphysema.

We examined the effect of nutritional supplementation for 13 wk on anthropometric, pulmonary function, and immunological status in malnourished ambulant patients with pulmonary emphysema (EP). The study was placebo controlled, randomized and double blind. Twenty-eight patients were included. Thirteen patients in the fed group were provided with a nutritional formula providing 20% protein, 30% fat, and 50% carbohydrate, 1 Kcal/ml, 400 ml/day. The control group was provided with a reference product of the same consistency and taste containing 0.1 Kcal/ml, 400 ml/day for 13 wk. The fed group had a mean weight gain of 1.5 kg during the study period, the control group increased concomitantly 0.16 kg, the difference being significant (p less than 0.01). Sum of four skinfolds increased 2.7 mm in the fed group, and decreased 0.9 mm in the control group the difference being significant (p less than 0.01). No difference were observed regarding pulmonary function or immunological status. We also found a high habitual energy intake in our study group (204% Basal Energy Expenditure). We conclude that nutritional supplementation produce weight gain in malnourished patients with EP, but it does not change other indices of well-being.

[1]  D. Bates,et al.  Respiratory function in disease , 1989 .

[2]  R. Mason.  Should Chest Physicians be Passive on Smoking?1 , 1986 .

[3]  A. Grassino,et al.  Respiratory muscle oxygen consumption estimated by the diaphragm pressure-time index. , 1984, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[4]  M. Niederman,et al.  Nutritional status and bacterial binding in the lower respiratory tract in patients with chronic tracheostomy. , 1984, Annals of internal medicine.

[5]  D. V. van Thiel,et al.  Nutritional status and lung function in patients with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. , 1983, Chest.

[6]  G. Block,et al.  A review of validations of dietary assessment methods. , 1982, American journal of epidemiology.

[7]  S. A. Loomis,et al.  Development of impaired cell-mediated immunity in mild and moderate malnutrition. , 1981, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[8]  W. Thurlbeck.  Diaphragm and body weight in emphysema. , 1978, Thorax.

[9]  C. Abel,et al.  Effect of T- and B-lymphocyte mitogens on interactions between lymphocytes and macrophages. , 1978, Cellular immunology.

[10]  G. Blackburn,et al.  Nutritional and metabolic assessment of the hospitalized patient. , 1977, JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition.

[11]  S. P. Gupta,et al.  Twelve-minute walking test for assessing disability in chronic bronchitis. , 1976, British medical journal.

[12]  J. Durnin,et al.  Body fat assessed from total body density and its estimation from skinfold thickness: measurements on 481 men and women aged from 16 to 72 Years , 1974, British Journal of Nutrition.

[13]  A. Renzetti,et al.  The Veterans Administration cooperative study of pulmonary function. 3. Mortality in relation to respiratory function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. , 1966, Aspen Emphysema Conference.

[14]  M. H. Williams,et al.  Serial studies of pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. , 1965, The American journal of medicine.

[15]  A. Rygh,et al.  [Height and weight studies on mature Norwegian men and women; proposals for new height-weight norms]. , 1956, Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke.

[16]  I. B. Ballenger.  Bilateral Collapse Therapy , 1935 .