Correlations among the levels of plasmatic L-carnitine, the nutritional status, and the ventilatory function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Autor(a) principal: BORGHI e SILVA, Audrey
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: COSTA, Dirceu, BALDISSERA, Vilmar, CARDELLO, Leonardo, DEMONTE, Aureluce
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de Nutrição
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/9836
• topic: body composition; malnutrition; pulmonary disease; chronic obstructive; electric impedance; L-carnitine; composição corporal; desnutrição; doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica; impedância elétrica; L-carnitina

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of free L-carnitine in the plasma, the nutritional condition,the pulmonary function, and the tolerance to exercising in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonaryDisease, in order to verify the correlations between body composition and L-carnitine levels in the plasma. MethodsForty patients between 66.2±9 years of age, with clinical diagnostics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,were divided in two groups: G1, patients with body mass index of less than 20 kg/m2, and G2, with Body MassIndex of more than 20 kg/m2. There were evaluations of the spirometric variables; the exercise tolerance,through a six-minute walking test; the respiratory muscle strength; the body composition, through thebioelectric impedance; and the free L-carnitine levels in the plasma, through blood exams. ResultsThe results showed lower values in G1 patients, for the spirometric variables (p<0.01), the respiratory musclestrength, and the L-carnitine levels; however, no difference between the groups was observed regarding thecapability to perform low-intensity dynamic physical exercise. There were significant correlations between thefat percentages and the levels of L-carnitine in the plasma (r=0.3 and p<0.002); furthermore, in patients whopresented body mass index less than 18kg/m2, this relationship was increased (r<0,73 with p<0,01). ConclusionIn patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the malnutrition is associated with damageof pulmonary function and reduction of respiratory muscle strength, as well as with lower levels of freeplasmatic L-carnitine.