The association between the body composition and lifestyle affecting pulmonary function in Japanese workers.
Atsushi Inomoto, Rika Fukuda, Junko Deguchi Phn and 7 others
PMID 27821955WHAT IT FOUND
More visceral fat was linked to lower lung function in 97 healthy Japanese male workers.
More fat-free mass was linked to better airflow, but lifestyle measures did not remain associated after age and height were considered.
Key findings
01After age and height were taken into account, larger visceral fat area was linked to lower airflow and lower lung volume measures.
02Fat-free mass was linked to higher airflow after age and height were taken into account.
03Physical activity measures were not significantly linked to airflow or lung volume, and smoking did not remain linked after adjustment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 97 healthy male workers from two Japanese companies, so it may not apply to women, older adults, people with lung disease, or people in other settings. It was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that visceral fat caused lower lung function or that changing body composition would improve lung function. People with pulmonary disease or FEV1/FVC below 0.7 were excluded, so it does not speak to diagnosis or treatment of COPD. Physical activity and smoking were self-reported, and passive smoking was not assessed. Lifestyle factors were not tested as interventions, so no treatment effect can be inferred.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reducing visceral fat or increasing physical activity will improve lung function. This was an association in healthy male workers, and lifestyle measures did not remain independently associated after adjustment.