Abdominal adiposity is an early marker of pulmonary function impairment: Findings from a Mediterranean Italian female cohort

•Abdominal adiposity measurements predict lung function impairment in women.•A waist circumference (WC) value greater than body mass index (BMI) predicts a restrictive lung dysfunction.•Abdominal adiposity impairs respiratory function independently by physical activity.

Background and aimsAbdominal adiposity may influence the respiratory function, especially in women. The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the predictive role of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) on lung function in healthy women.Methods and resultsIn 600 women randomly selected from the cohort of the “Progetto ATENA,” anthropometric measures such as BMI, WC, and weight gain were recorded at baseline, and the spirometric parameters were measured 10 years later. The percentage values of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%) and forced vital capacity (FVC%) and the ratio of FEV1/FVC were compared with the anthropometric measures after adjustment for several variables measured at baseline such as age, height, socioeconomic status, smoking habits, and history of respiratory allergies grouped in a basal model.WC is significantly associated with a decreased FVC (p = 0.008) and an increased ratio of FEV1/FVC (p = 0.031) after adjustment for the covariates of the basal model. The association between BMI and spirometric parameters reaches borderline significance only with the ratio of FEV1/FVC (p = 0.052).ConclusionsWe suggest measuring both BMI and WC to assess the risk of future respiratory impairment.