ASSOCIATION OF BODY COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION WITH VENTILATORY LIMITED OBESE OLDER ADULTS

We evaluated whether ventilatory limitation during peak cardiopulmonary exercise testing is associated with worse body composition and physical function in healthy older adults with obesity but without chronic pulmonary disease. 177 healthy adults, 65–80 years old, with obesity (BMI=30-45kg/m2) underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill, body composition measurement using DXA, and physical function assessment. Participants were categorized into 4 groups based on the lower 95% confidence limit for mean VO2peak (17.49ml/kg/min) and the median breathing reserve at peak exercise (BRpeak, 37.2). Those with low VO2peak/low BRpeak were considered to have ventilatory limitation (VL,n=33), normal BRpeak/low VO2peak had non-ventilatory limitation (NVL,n=48), low BRpeak/high VO2peak were healthy obese (HOb,n=55), and normal BRpeak/high VO2peak were fit obese (FOb,n=41). VO2peak was lowest in VL (14.7 ± 1.7ml/kg/min vs 15.5 ± 1.7ml/kg/min vs 20.7 ± 2.6ml/kg/min vs 19.9ml/kg/min) and was associated with lower oxygen pulse (10.3 ± 1.5ml/HR vs 10.8 ± 2.2ml/HR vs 13.3 ± 2.5ml/HR vs 13.6 ± 3.1ml/HR) and higher VE/CO2 (34.2 ± 5.2 vs 30.1 ± 3.1 vs 31.7 ± 2.5 vs 28.5 ± 3.1) compared to NVL, HOb, and FOb respectively (p