IntroductionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the most common chronic diseases, is a major cause of morbidity. Oxidative stress is a situation of imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in favor of the oxidants (1). Today, habitual smoking is the most significant threat to the world's population (2). The development of COPD is mainly associated with tobacco or biomass smoke-induced oxidative stress. Smokers are exposed to thousands of reactive chemicals and trillions of radicals and particles with every cigarette; thus, the molecular reactive oxygen, activity of radicals, and nitrogen species can, over time, lead to a number of detrimental changes in the lungs (3). Oxidative stress is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of COPD.Maximal aerobic capacity (VO 2 max) is considered the gold standard for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness (physical functional capacity) (4). Daily physical activity is the actual level of physical performance that one adopts in daily living. It is not synonymous with physical functional capacity, which can be defined as the maximal performance potential of an individual (5). Aerobic exercise limitation is a common and disturbing manifestation of COPD and is often caused by multiple interrelated physiologic and anatomic disturbances (6). Nevertheless, a hypothesis was proposed that individuals with higher current aerobic function will have greater antioxidant and metabolic capacities to deal with the stresses associated with life, including environmental stresses such as chronic cigarette smoke exposure (3).Patients with COPD show high prevalences of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome (7,8). Obesity and COPD are common and disabling chronic health conditions. A relationship between obesity and COPD is increasingly recognized, although the nature of this association remains unknown (9). Uygur et al. also found that body fat percentage and total body fat were negatively correlated at a strong level with aerobic capacity Background/aim: To investigate total oxidant and antioxidant status, maximal aerobic capacity, daily physical activity, pulmonary functions, and body composition changes, as well as the associations among these parameters, in patients with mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) versus healthy controls.
Materials and methods:The study included 30 male patients newly diagnosed with COPD and 30 body mass index-matched, nonsmoker male controls. Maximal aerobic capacity, daily physical activity, total oxidant and antioxidant status, pulmonary function tests, body composition, and anthropometric parameters were measured.Results: Maximal aerobic capacity and total antioxidant values were lower in patients with COPD compared to the controls. The total oxidant value, body fat percentage, and waist/hip ratio were higher in patients with COPD than in the healthy controls. There was a moderately negative correlation between the total oxidant value and the maximal aerobic capacity, while there was a moderatel...