Effect of Central Adiposity on Lung Function Tests in Young Adults

Obesity is a major health issue all over world. Many studies indicated the association between obesity and a wide range of health problems including respiratory diseases. It is one of the most important factors contributing to increase mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of waist circumference (WC) on lung function in young population. A cross sectional study was conducted among healthy male and female students aged 18-25 yrs having no lung disease, who were grouped into control and obese according to their WC. Spirometry was performed on all subjects .Results were analyzed by using Graph pad Prism5,comparison was done using Student's unpaired t tests and correlation was determined by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results showed a significant decrease in expiratory reserve volume (ERV) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) along with a significant correlation between WC and MVV and ERV in obese population of both sexes suggesting a lower pulmonary reserve which in the future may lead to respiratory diseases if weight reduction is not undertaken.