Pfts's and weight changes

[Havoc]

Quite right, but given aforementioned relationship, I think it's wise of physicians to stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. That is, until we get more information, which might give you causation.

Having said that I know docs can be a bit pushy. They would like my weight to be higher, which I balk at merely for aesthetic reasons. When I do get sick, I tend to drop 10-15 pounds. So, I can see their rationale.

May I ask why this is such a pet peeve of yours?

 

[Havoc]

Quite right, but given aforementioned relationship, I think it's wise of physicians to stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. That is, until we get more information, which might give you causation.

Having said that I know docs can be a bit pushy. They would like my weight to be higher, which I balk at merely for aesthetic reasons. When I do get sick, I tend to drop 10-15 pounds. So, I can see their rationale.

May I ask why this is such a pet peeve of yours?

 

[Havoc]

@Jen

No, just because you put on some pounds does not necessarily mean that your PFT's will go up. It's possible, but not a sure thing. As Saveferris pointed out the study illustrates a correlation between underweight, malnourished patients and poor PFTs.

I have seen people with poor PFTs who were also underweight bring their numbers up through exercise and weight gain, but it's not really clear that exercise alone didn't bring the numbers up or whether weight plays a role as well.

 

[Havoc]

@Jen

No, just because you put on some pounds does not necessarily mean that your PFT's will go up. It's possible, but not a sure thing. As Saveferris pointed out the study illustrates a correlation between underweight, malnourished patients and poor PFTs.

I have seen people with poor PFTs who were also underweight bring their numbers up through exercise and weight gain, but it's not really clear that exercise alone didn't bring the numbers up or whether weight plays a role as well.

 

[Melissa75]

For me, the decline in the lungs seems to cause the weight loss, not vice versa. My weight has been super-steady since high school except during/following exacerbations and now since culturing worse bugs. I am consistently 4-5 lbs under where I feel I should be. But overall my diet and exercise haven't changed--just the extra coughing and the greater frequency of days when I feel bad (but I force myself to eat and get around).

That said, and I posted this study in a different thread once, a person's level of alpha-1 antitrypsin production (something that has to do with lung repair) is correlated with their BMI. And THAT is why last night when I was already full, I ate two more tacos and a bag of gummi bears.

http://ajrcmb.atsjournals.org/content/29/3/390.full

"The results of our study show that ?1-AT genotype is not a major contributor to the variability of pulmonary disease severity in CF. Specifically, ?1-AT genotype did not correlate with %predFEV1, pulmonary infections and death, or lung transplantation. Our study shows, however, that the levels of ?1-AT during pulmonary infections may be affected by poor nutritional status independent of ?1-AT genotype."

 

[Melissa75]

For me, the decline in the lungs seems to cause the weight loss, not vice versa. My weight has been super-steady since high school except during/following exacerbations and now since culturing worse bugs. I am consistently 4-5 lbs under where I feel I should be. But overall my diet and exercise haven't changed--just the extra coughing and the greater frequency of days when I feel bad (but I force myself to eat and get around).

That said, and I posted this study in a different thread once, a person's level of alpha-1 antitrypsin production (something that has to do with lung repair) is correlated with their BMI. And THAT is why last night when I was already full, I ate two more tacos and a bag of gummi bears.

http://ajrcmb.atsjournals.org/content/29/3/390.full

"The results of our study show that ?1-AT genotype is not a major contributor to the variability of pulmonary disease severity in CF. Specifically, ?1-AT genotype did not correlate with %predFEV1, pulmonary infections and death, or lung transplantation. Our study shows, however, that the levels of ?1-AT during pulmonary infections may be affected by poor nutritional status independent of ?1-AT genotype."

 

[Hardak]

Within error limits is accurate. I would also be tracking the accutal valume of air moved rather then the % of "expected" I've seen my waight shift 3-4 pounds effect my PFT by 6-10%.In this case with such a small waight loss, its likely dehidration and water waight loss. But as others have said, way WAY too many factors play into how lungs preform or don't. My last set of PFT's where BAD cause I had a bad nights sleep the night befor and walked past a smoker on the way into the hospital, dispite holding my breath still had my lungs try to close down on me. If your BF feels good isn't having any energy issues and is 28 with over 90% cappacity, I wouldn't go in less he started to show signs of infection.

 

[Hardak]

Within error limits is accurate. I would also be tracking the accutal valume of air moved rather then the % of "expected" I've seen my waight shift 3-4 pounds effect my PFT by 6-10%.In this case with such a small waight loss, its likely dehidration and water waight loss. But as others have said, way WAY too many factors play into how lungs preform or don't. My last set of PFT's where BAD cause I had a bad nights sleep the night befor and walked past a smoker on the way into the hospital, dispite holding my breath still had my lungs try to close down on me. If your BF feels good isn't having any energy issues and is 28 with over 90% cappacity, I wouldn't go in less he started to show signs of infection.

 

[cfgf28]

Thank you hardak. he's not thinking about going in, especially not with such a little dif in his PFts. Last fall when they wer're down to 73 he still didn't notice a difference in energy levels, or an increase in cough or wheezing. But dr's told him then that it isn't something you notice til it's really declined alot... When he got out of his tune up the difference he did notice was, he said it felt like when he breathed in air was going down further than it had before, and his pft's went form 73 to 107 then, with a week of ivs. The only thing we dont want to happen is his pft's to get stuck and not come back up...He had a breaking down vest for a few months that just got replaced, so we kind of expected a small decline, but weren't aware he'd gained weight, and wondered if that had to do with the percentages...But I will def ask for raw numbers since that is way more important...

 

[cfgf28]

Thank you hardak. he's not thinking about going in, especially not with such a little dif in his PFts. Last fall when they wer're down to 73 he still didn't notice a difference in energy levels, or an increase in cough or wheezing. But dr's told him then that it isn't something you notice til it's really declined alot... When he got out of his tune up the difference he did notice was, he said it felt like when he breathed in air was going down further than it had before, and his pft's went form 73 to 107 then, with a week of ivs. The only thing we dont want to happen is his pft's to get stuck and not come back up...He had a breaking down vest for a few months that just got replaced, so we kind of expected a small decline, but weren't aware he'd gained weight, and wondered if that had to do with the percentages...But I will def ask for raw numbers since that is way more important...