DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i10.036

Pages: 3984-3987

Obesity is known to have significant effects on respiratory function and obese patients commonly report respiratory complaints requiring pulmonary function tests (PFTs). To determine the effect of obesity on PFTs in Indian men who did not have evidence of underlying diseases of the respiratory system. A cross sectional hospital based study was conducted among apparently healthy men who did not have evidence of underlying diseases of the respiratory system. The study subjects were categorized as per Body Mass Index (BMI). The study subjects who had BMI of 18-24.9 kg/m 2 were categorized as non-obese and who had BMI above 30 were categorized as obese. Spirometry test was performed on both obese and non-obese study subjects and various values of the same were compared for any differences. Mean, standard deviation was used for descriptive analysis and unpaired t test was used as test of significance. Total 200 randomly selected men who did not have evidence of underlying diseases of the respiratory system were included in the study. 100 men were non-obese and 100 men were obese as per the BMI. There was statistically significant difference in FVC and FEV1 in non-obese and obese study subjects (p<0.05). FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower in the obese men. However no statistically significant difference was found in FEV1 / FVC ratio, PEF, MEF (p>0.05). Obesity has significant effects on lung function of Indian men and the greatest effects were on FVC and FEV1. These physiological effects of weight gain should be considered when interpreting PFTs and their effects on respiratory symptoms even in the absence of disease and may also exaggerate existing lung diseases.