Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious and life threatening disease

• Dehydration
• Total Body Water
• Extracellular Fluid
• Intracellular Fluid
• Fat Free Mass Hyrdration

It is estimated worldwide over 60 million people are effected with COPD and of which more than 3 million people die. Assessing body composition in this group of people is important in cases where Fat Free Mass is lost as a result of malnutrition and or Fat Mass which may increase and could be undetected as no change in body weight is noticed.
 

Detecting loss of Fat Free Mass (FFM) has been shown to be an independent predictor of mortality

Some characteristic changes on Body Composition in COPD:

• Fluid imbalance
• Lower Fat Free Mass
• Loss of Bone mineral
• Change in Body Composition

Low FFM Has Clearly Been Identified as a Primary Determinant of Perceived Disability

In COPD patients ICW/ECW ratio could change following surgery with progressive increase after surgery. In advanced stages of disease, low FFM has clearly been identified as a primary determinant of perceived disability, and it is therefore considered an important target for therapy. Several studies specifically aimed therapeutic interventions at the accretion of muscle mass in patients with advanced COPD to improve functional capacity.

These studies all indicate that BIA may be a useful clinical screening instrument for characterisation of the tissue-depletion pattern in chronic lung disease. Routine screening could help identify these diseases.