Malnutrition has complex effects on emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that affects the lungs. Emphysema destroys not only the air sacs that hold oxygen in your lungs, but also the elastic fibers that hold the airways open that lead to the air sacs. Not only does the risk of developing malnutrition increase if you have emphysema, but malnutrition, in some cases, may cause emphysema.
Anorexia Nervosa and Emphysema
Having anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that can lead to severe weight loss, increases your risk of developing emphysema, researchers from the University of British Columbia reported in the July 2004 issue of the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine." Researchers found that anorexia reduced the available amount of the lung tissue that delivers oxygen to the lungs, concluding that malnourishment causes emphysema-like changes in lung tissue.
Risks of Developing Malnutrition with Emphysema
As many as 20 to 70 percent of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, develop malnutrition, with malnutrition occurring more frequently in those with emphysema than in those with chronic bronchitis, registered dietitian Kathleen Niedert reports in "Nutrition Care Of The Older Adult: A Handbook For Dietetics Professionals Working Throughout The Continuum Of Care." The risk of developing malnutrition may increase with the severity of the disease, NYU Langone reports.
Causes
People with emphysema may develop malnutrition for a number of reasons. Changes in metabolism can affect nutrient absorption. Infections can accelerate metabolism, while inflammation, low oxygen levels, high levels of carbon dioxide and breakdown of muscle proteins can all contribute to malnutrition, researchers from the Vanderbilt Center for Human Nutrition report in the December 2000 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Resting energy expenditure ranges from 15 to 20 percent above normal when you have COPD, researchers report. Difficulty breathing may interfere with food intake.
Complications
If you become malnourished, your risk of developing complications from emphysema increase. Low body weight can make breathing more difficult by reducing the muscle mass of the diaphragm as well as the respiratory muscles. Malnutrition also makes exercise difficult, so that more muscle mass may be lost from inactivity. Infections may develop more easily because of a weakening of the immune system from malnutrition; mortality rates increase if you become malnourished when you have emphysema.Once malnutrition develops in people with emphysema, dietary interventions may be too little, too late. Supplemental nutrition before you develop malnutrition may help if you have emphysema.
References
- "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine"; Early Emphysema in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa; Harvey Coxson, et al.; July 2004
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Malnutrition in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Lisa Ezzell, et al.; December 2000
- "Nutrition Care Of The Older Adult: A Handbook For Dietetics Professionals Working Throughout The Continuum Of Care"; Kathleen Niedert, et al.; American Dietetic Association; October 2004
- MayoClinic.com; Emphysema; April 2011
- NYU Langone Medical Center; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; February 2011
