PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Magali Poulain
AU  - Mariève Doucet
AU  - Geneviève C. Major
AU  - Vicky Drapeau
AU  - Frédéric Sériès
AU  - Louis-Philippe Boulet
AU  - Angelo Tremblay
AU  - François Maltais
TI  - The effect of obesity on chronic respiratory diseases: pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies
AID  - 10.1503/cmaj.051299
DP  - 2006 Apr 25
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 1293--1299
VI  - 174
IP  - 9
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/174/9/1293.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/174/9/1293.full
SO  - CMAJ2006 Apr 25; 174
AB  - Sedentary lifestyles and increased pollution brought about by industrialization pose major challenges to the prevention of both obesity and chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, obstructive sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Obesity has emerged as an important risk factor for these respiratory diseases, and in many instances weight loss is associated with important symptomatic improvement. Moreover, obesity may influence the development and presentation of these diseases. In this article, we review the current understanding of the influence of obesity on chronic respiratory diseases and the clinical management of obesity concurrent with asthma, COPD, obstructive sleep apnea or obesity hypoventilation syndrome.