Diaphragm activity in obesity.
DIAPHRAGM ACTIVITY DURING CARBON DIOXIDE BREATHING AND TOTAL CHEST COMPLIANCE DURING DIAPHRAGM RELAXATION WERE MEASURED IN EIGHT OBESE SUBJECTS: four with normal blood gases and four with hypercapnia and hypoxemia. Whereas there were no significant differences in the values of total chest compliance between the two groups, there were marked differences in diaphragm activity. The increase in integrated electrical activity in the diaphragm, per millimeter increment in carbon dioxide tension in the arterial blood, averaged 66 units (range: 48-90) in the obese-normal subjects and 17 units (range: 12-22) in the obese-hypoventilation subjects. These results suggest that an incapacity to increase the activity in the respiratory muscles, to levels necessary to overcome the load caused by obesity, plays a major role in the genesis of respiratory failure in obese subjects.
D000328:Adult; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000503:physiopathology; D007040:Hypoventilation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000503:physiopathology; D013147:Spirometry
D002245:Carbon Dioxide
Am J Med. 1968 Jun;44(6):881-8
5759632
J Appl Physiol. 1967 Mar;22(3):598-600
6020250
J Clin Invest. 1955 Oct;34(10):1537-45
13263434
Am J Med. 1965 Feb;38:199-216
14256716
J Appl Physiol. 1968 Jun;24(6):741-6
5653155
J Clin Invest. 1959 Aug;38(8):1339-48
13673090
J Appl Physiol. 1964 Sep;19:959-66
14207752
J Appl Physiol. 1966 Mar;21(2):527-33
5934459
J Clin Invest. 1967 Apr;46(4):475-81
6021200
J Clin Invest. 1964 Apr;43:728-39
14149924
J Appl Physiol. 1958 Jul;13(1):1-14
13563336
J Appl Physiol. 1960 May;15:377-82
14425845
N Engl J Med. 1968 Jul 11;279(2):53-9
5657011
Anesthesiology. 1960 Nov-Dec;21:642-51
13758473
Am J Med. 1956 Nov;21(5):811-8
13362309