Avoiding weight loss when you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Why is weight loss a concern in COPD?

Weight loss is a concern in COPD because as you lose weight, you lose muscle mass. Muscle loss may result in feeling weaker and makes it more difficult to breathe (the muscles that help you breathe also weaken). Weakness can also lead to a greater chance of infections, such as pneumonia.

About 1 in 4 people with COPD weighs too little for good health, and those who are very underweight, especially those with emphysema, are at higher risk of death than are people with COPD who have a normal weight.¹

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Author:	Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: August 28, 2006
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology
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