Dietary Behaviour and Nutrition in Patients with COPD Treated with Long-Term Oxygen Therapy

Background: It is the first study in Poland and one of the first in the world to assess the nutrition of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated with long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Methods: The study group consisted of 110 COPD patients treated with LTOT. Anthropometric measurements and spirometry were performed. The diet of patients was assessed using a 3-day nutrition diary. Results: When assessing the degree of airflow obstruction (FEV1% N) depending on the BMI in patients treated with LTOT, a statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between the BMI and the value of the FEV% N parameter (p = 0.0093). Patients with COPD with a BMI >30 had statistically significantly higher values of FEV1% N than patients with a BMI in the range of 20–24.9 (p = 0.0278). Intake of calcium, vitamins A, C, D, E and folates was lower than the recommended daily intake in more than 95% of COPD patients. Conclusions: The diet of COPD patients treated with long-term oxygen therapy was improperly balanced, with deficiencies of important nutrients. Airflow obstruction in the respiratory tract was significantly smaller in obese patients, and greater in patients with diagnosed malnutrition.