ABSTRACT
While obesity is recognized to be a major contributor to increased morbidity and mortality from many chronic diseases, only recently has the impact of obesity on lung health been recognized. Lung function is altered directly by the physical mass of adipose tissue and indirectly by adipose tissue mediators. Beyond the mechanical and metabolic impact on normal lung function, obesity is a major risk factor for pulmonary diseases such as asthma, sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension, and respiratory tract infections. Obesity also appears to alter the course of other common lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this chapter is to review the effects of obesity on lung function in people with obesity who are otherwise healthy and to discuss the effects of obesity on common pulmonary diseases.
