Comparison between nutritional status and the health statuses of Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and those of Chinese patients (628.23)

[Background] We previously reported that the Chinese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) showed inferior health statuses to Japanese patients (Yamaguchi M. et al., BMC Public Health 13: 754 (2013)). However, the factors affecting the health status of the patients have not yet been studied. Malnutrition among the patients with advanced COPD causes weight loss, which has been identified as a poor‐prognostic factor. In this study, we examined the relationships between the health status and body mass index (BMI) as a nutritional status‐factor in the patients with COPD in Japan and China. [Methods] From 2008 to 2011, we examined the factors affecting the health status of Japanese and Chinese populations in six cities. Participants were patients with COPD and healthy subjects, aged 50 to 79 years. Health status was measured by using the COOP/WONCA charts, and basic information such as body weight and medical history was reported by the participants. [Results] 782 subjects participated in this study. The BMI uncorrelated with the severity of COPD both in Japanese and Chinese patients. When subjects were divided in two groups (BMI>25, BMI25 group than those in the BMI<25 group in Chinese patients. “Physical fitness” of healthy Chinese in the BMI 25 group. No significant difference in the health status was observed among the Japanese patients and healthy subjects between the BMI>25 and <25 groups. [Conclusions] These results suggested that the nutritional control may improve the health status in the Chinese patients with COPD. Grant Funding Source : Supported by Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research and “MEXT‐Supported Program” in Japan