Lung age in women with morbid obesity.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of morbid obesity on the lung age in women and to correlate with body mass, body mass index (BMI), and ventilatory variables. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study with 72 morbidly obese women and a control group consisting of 37 normal weight women. The subjects performed a pulmonary function test to determine lung age, and the results were correlated to anthropometric variables and lung volumes. RESULTS The morbidly obese group had significantly higher lung age (50.1±6.8 years) than the control group (38.8±11.4 years). There was no difference in chronological age between groups. There was a significant positive correlation among chronological age, body mass, BMI, and lung age (r=0.3647, 0.4182, and 0.3743, respectively). There was a negative correlation among forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, expiratory reserve volume (ERV), and lung age (r=-0.7565, -0.8769, --0.2723, and -0.2417, respectively). CONCLUSION Lung age is increased in morbidly obese women and is associated with increased body mass and BMI.