title: Brief communication: Respiratory function is closely associated with basal metabolic rate in elderly persons.
abstract: To investigate the association between respiratory function and basal metabolic rate (BMR), pulmonary function indices and BMR were measured in 251 elderly persons using a spirometer and a body composition analyzer. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were more strongly correlated with BMR (r = 0.48 and r = 0.43, p < 0.01) than with lean body mass (r = 0.36 and r = 0.35, p < 0.01) and waist-to-hip ratio (r = -0.29 and r = -0.32, p < 0.01) in elderly men. FVC and FEV1 in elderly men with BMR > or = 1390 kcal/day averaged 4.05 +/- 0.56 L and 3.19 +/- 0.45 L, which were significantly above the values (3.54 +/- 0.51 L and 2.80 +/- 0.42 L, p < 0.01) in men with BMR < 1390 kcal/ day. Prevalences of the subjects with elevated FVC or FEV1 were significantly higher in the group of men with BMR > or = 1390 kcal/day than in those with BMR < 1390 kcal/day (66.0% and 68.0% vs 28.3% and 33.9%, p < 0.01). No significant differences were observed between the postmenopausal women with BMR > or = 1135 kcal/day and those with BMR < 1135 kcal/day. In summary, respiratory function is more closely associated with BMR in elderly persons, compared to lean body mass, waist-to-hip ratio, or body fat mass, and these associations are stronger in men than in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, Inchon, Korea. jwchoi@inha.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jong Weon
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Soo Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Pai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests