Influence of body mass index and age on the lung function of obese women

Abstract Introduction: Obesity and aging may cause changes in lung function. Objective: to assess whether body mass, body mass index (BMI) and age influences vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in women. Methods: 81 women aged between 30 and 75 years participated in the study. The sample included obese and morbidly obese, non-smoking, sedentary individuals without chronic lung disorders. Anamnesis, anthropometric and spirometric evaluations were performed. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Pearson correlation and Spearman tests, adopting a significance level of 5%. Results: It was observed that age had significant and negative correlations with VC and its components: inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), expiratory reserve volume (ERV) and tidal volume (TV), and with FEV1. There was also a significant positive correlation between body mass and VC and IRV and a significant negative correlation between BMI and ERV. Conclusion: Pulmonary function declines over time. Body mass appears to exert a greater influence on IRV, whereas a greater BMI is associated with a decline in ERV.