title: [The evaluation of nutritional status of stable COPD patients and to investigate the effect of nutritional status on perception of dyspnea, exercise capacity, body composition, hospitalisation and life quality].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition is a comorbidity oftenly seen in COPD patients who have progressive chronic inflammation and severity. In this prospective study, we aimed to determine the nutritional status of stable COPD patients and to investigate the impact of nutritional status on perception of dyspnoea, exercise capacity, body composition, hospitalisation and life quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  COPD patients were assessed using previous smoking story, physical examination and irreversible airway obstruction. This study was done with 50 COPD patients older than 65 years of age and 30 control subjects. Exclusion criteria were also the co-existance of malignancies, malabsorbtion, DM, neurological diseases, renal failure and unstable cardiac diseases known to influence the nutritional state. The obstruction degree was evaluated by spirometry, nutritional status was classified by the MNA questionnaire, perception of dyspnoea was assessed by the MMRC scale, exercise capacity was assessed by the 6MWT, life quality was assessed by the CAT scale. Body composition parameters FM, FFM and FMI were analyzed and hospitalisations during 6 months after discharge were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The COPD patients were divided into three groups as without malnutrition (n= 25,%50), under risk of malnutrition (n= 19,%38) and malnourished (n= 6,%12). The COPD severity, MMRC dyspnoea score, CAT score and hospitalisations during 6 months following were higher among the malnourished patients. On the other hand, body mass index, 6MWT results, FM and FFM were lower in malnourished patients. A positive correlation between FFM and 6MWT and a negative correlation between FFM and hospitalisation were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MNA is a well-developed questionnaire which evaluates malnutrition in COPD patients. We determined that malnourished COPD patients have higher airway obstruction degree, perception of dyspnoea, CAT score and lower exercise capacity and FFM. FFM is an independent predictor of exercise capacity and rehospitalisation during 6 months.
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ayar Karakoç
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ernam
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Chest Diseases, Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. drulkuakturk@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ülkü
authors.initials: Ü
authors.lastname: Aka Aktürk
authors.forename: Selahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Öztaş
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oğur
authors.forename: Feyyaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kabadayı
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires