title: Weight loss reduces dyspnea on exertion in obese women.
abstract: During submaximal exercise, some otherwise healthy obese women experience breathlessness, or dyspnea on exertion (+DOE), while others have mild or no DOE (-DOE). We investigated whether weight loss could reduce DOE. Twenty nine obese women were grouped based on their Ratings of Perceived Breathlessness (RPB) during constant load 60 W cycling: +DOE (n = 14, RPB ≥ 4, 34 ± 8 years, and 36 ± 3 kg/m(2)) and -DOE ( n= 15, RPB ≤ 2, 32 ± 8 years, and 36 ± 4 kg/m(2)) and then completed a 12-week weight loss program. Both groups lost a moderate amount of weight (+DOE: 6.6 ± 2.4 kg, -DOE: 8.4 ± 3.5 kg, and p < 0.001). RPB decreased significantly in the +DOE group (from 4.7 ± 1.1 to 3.1 ± 1.6) and remained low in the -DOE (from 1.5 ± 0.7 to 1.6 ± 1.1) (interaction p < 0.002). Most physiological variables measured (i.e. body composition, fat distribution, pulmonary function, oxygen cost of breathing, and cardiorespiratory measures) improved with weight loss; however, the decrease in RPB was not correlated with any of these variables (p > 0.05). In conclusion, moderate weight loss was effective in reducing breathlessness on exertion in obese women who experienced DOE at baseline.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 7232 Greenville Ave., Ste 435, Dallas 75231, TX, United States. Electronic address: VipaBernhardt@texashealth.org.
authors.forename: Vipa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 7232 Greenville Ave., Ste 435, Dallas 75231, TX, United States. Electronic address: TonyBabb@texashealth.org.
authors.forename: Tony G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Babb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Body composition; Exercise; Pulmonary function; Shortness of breath; Work of breathing