The role of nutrition in COPD
It has been estimated that around 21% of individuals with COPD are at risk of malnutrition1.
Malnutrition can develop gradually over several years or develop and progress following exacerbations.
Whilst it is relatively easy to identify patients with a low BMI, patients with unintentional weight loss and/or muscle wasting may be more prevalent and are more difficult to detect.
Red flags to indicate possible malnutrition include2:
- Low BMI (<20kg/m2)
- Unintentional weight loss over the past 3-6 months > 10%
- Loose fitting clothes/rings/dentures
- Reduced appetite/ability to eat
1 Managing malnutrition caused by COPD: http://www.malnutritiontaskforce.org.uk/how-can-we-tackle-malnutrition-caused-by-copd/
2 Malnutrition in COPD: meeting patients’ nutritional needs: https://www.jcn.co.uk/files/downloads/learning-zone/nutricia-malnutrition-in-cpd.pdf
