title: [Obesity and respiratory disorders].
abstract: The prevalence of obesity has considerably increased during the past thirty years. Possible consequences of obesity on respiratory physiology include a restrictive disorder, changes in ventilatory mechanics and an alteration of respiratory drive. Apart from the well established relation between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, obesity is associated with two other respiratory disorders. On one hand, epidemiological and animal data suggest a causal relationship between obesity and asthma. On the other hand, morbid obesity is associated, through an alteration of the respiratory drive involving leptin, with a diurnal and nocturnal alveolar hypoventilation defining the obesity-hypoventilation syndrome. These data emphasize the necessity for the medical practitioner to investigate any respiratory symptomatology in obese patients.
authors.affiliation: codrina-rethoret@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Codrina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Réthoret-Lacatis
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Janssens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D010845:Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin