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Lung function in elderly subjects with metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes

Data from the Berlin Aging Study II

Lungenfunktion bei älteren Probanden mit metabolischem Syndrom und Typ II Diabetes

Ergebnisse der Berliner Altersstudie II

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Abstract

Background

Previous studies have indicated a relationship between type II diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome (MetS) and pulmonary function but the pathological mechanism responsible remains unclear. The aim of the current analysis within the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) was to investigate the influence of abdominal obesity and muscle mass on pulmonary function in subjects with T2D and MetS.

Material and methods

A prebronchodilator pulmonary function test was carried out in 1369 subjects from the BASE-II (mean age 69 ± 4 years, 51.6 % women) where T2D was defined according to the German Diabetes Association (DDG) criteria, MetS according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF), American Heart Association (AHA) and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) criteria from 2009 and pulmonary obstruction (obstructive lung disease, OLD) by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria of a forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio < 70 %.

Results

Of the subjects 50.9 % achieved a sufficient level of quality according to the GOLD guidelines and were analyzed with respect to the research question. The FEV1 and FVC were decreased in study participants with T2D and MetS and the lung volume decreased with an increasing number of MetS criteria. Parameters of body composition, such as waist circumference and muscle mass had a significant influence on lung volumes, independent of MetS or T2D.

Discussion

In this study MetS and T2D were associated with decreased lung volumes; however, muscle mass and abdominal obesity proved to be the most important factors influencing pulmonary function and could thus form the link between pulmonary function and MetS or T2D. Measurement of grip strength for the determination of muscle mass and waist circumference for determining abdominal obesity could contribute to the interpretation of the results of pulmonary function tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Group on Geriatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Reinickendorfer Str. 61, 13347, Berlin, Germany

    Nikolaus Buchmann, Kristina Norman, Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen, Ilja Demuth & Rahel Eckardt

  2. Institute of Medical and Human Genetics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Reinickendorfer Str. 61, 13347, Berlin, Germany

    Ilja Demuth

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  1. Nikolaus Buchmann
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  2. Kristina Norman
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  3. Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen
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  4. Ilja Demuth
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  5. Rahel Eckardt
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Correspondence to Nikolaus Buchmann.

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Conflict of interest

N. Buchmann, K. Norman, E. Steinhagen-Thiessen, I. Demuth, and R. Eckardt declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its most recently amended version). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in the study.

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There exists a German version of this article under DOI 10.1007/s00391-015-0959-z

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Buchmann, N., Norman, K., Steinhagen-Thiessen, E. et al. Lung function in elderly subjects with metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. Z Gerontol Geriat (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-015-0958-0

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