Bioelectrical impedance and lung function - associations with gender and central obesity: results of the EpiHealth study

Abstract

Background Obesity is associated with various health problems, including respiratory impairment; moreover, it is a major public health concern. There is a lack of a consensus in healthcare on how body fat should be assessed in relation to lung function. In this study, we aimed to investigate how bioelectrical impedance contributes to predicting reduced lung function in relation to waist circumference in cases of increased adipose tissue, using data from a large Swedish population study. Methods In total, 22,706 participants (aged 45–75 years) were included in the study. The relationships between fat mass, waist circumference, and lung function were analysed using weighted quantile sum regression. Results The results showed that waist circumference was more important than trunk fat mass (variable weights 0.68 and 0.28, respectively) in men, but the opposite was true for waist circumference and trunk fat in women (variable weights 0.23 and 0.77). Both sexes were significantly associated with decreased lung function (FEV1, FVC, and z-scores). Conclusions Our results suggest that trunk fat should be considered when assessing the impact of adipose tissue on lung function and should potentially be included in the health controls.