Nutritional Status and Body Composition in Patients Suffering From Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Its Correlation With Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Emiel F M Wouters
PMID 36188872WHAT IT FOUND
For patients with COPD starting pulmonary rehab, normal BMI often hides low muscle mass.
Assess body composition and hand-grip strength directly. Combine exercise with nutritional support for weight loss, but skip creatine and other supplements, which lack evidence.
Key findings
01Low muscle mass is frequently masked by a normal BMI in patients with COPD, with prevalence rates of 27% to 45% in rehabilitation populations.
02Nutritional supplementation combined with exercise improves weight, muscle function, and exercise capacity in undernourished patients with COPD.
03Creatine supplementation during pulmonary rehabilitation does not improve exercise capacity, health status, or muscle strength and cannot be recommended.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so the selection of studies is not described and may be biased. Most underlying data are from cross-sectional studies, limiting causal inference. Evidence for specific nutraceuticals (creatine, nitrates, omega-3s) is conflicting or based on small, underpowered trials. The review does not provide standardized protocols for nutritional assessment or intervention, leaving implementation details to the reader.
Declared interests
The author declares no commercial or financial conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume a normal BMI means adequate muscle mass. In COPD patients, low fat-free mass is common even with normal weight and is a stronger predictor of poor outcomes and mortality than BMI alone.