Grading the severity of obstruction in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and morbid obesity

Grading the severity of obstruction in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and morbid obesity. N. Barbarito, E. De Mattia. Aim. To evaluate the severity of airway obstruction in patients affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the presence of concomitant restriction due to morbid obesity. Methods. Lung function test, six-minute walking distance (6MWD) test, body mass index measurement (BMI), and determination of dyspnoea using the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale (MMRC) were performed on each patient referred to our department according to their individual respiratory diagnosis or symptoms. Analysis was performed on smokers or ex-smokers patients, with both dyspnoea and chronic productive cough, showing non fully reversible airflow obstruction, with normal-weight (NW: BMI 22 to 24 kg/m2) or morbid-obesity (MO: BMI