Reproducibility of indirect calorimetry in underweight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

SummaryBackground & aimsStudies have shown that reproducibility of indirect calorimetry in healthy subjects is high, but none have studied this in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim was to examine the reproducibility of indirect calorimetry in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and to compare measured resting metabolic rate to prediction equations of resting metabolic rate.MethodsResting metabolic rate was assessed twice the same week and was also predicted using four different equations in 41 (30 women, 11 men) underweight patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.ResultsThere was no statistical significant difference between the two measurement occasions. The mean between-day coefficient of variation was 4.1%. The difference between occasions of indirect calorimetry was 50 kJ with limits of agreement −740–640 kJ. The prediction equation assessing the largest part (68.3%) of the patient group within 90%–110% of measured resting metabolic rate was based on fat free mass.ConclusionsReproducibility of indirect calorimetry to assess resting metabolic rate in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is high and prediction of resting metabolic rate shows poor agreement with measured resting metabolic rate. This finding underlines the importance of follow up of nutritional care.