PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bram van den Borst
AU  - Annemarie Koster
AU  - Binbing Yu
AU  - Harry R Gosker
AU  - Bernd Meibohm
AU  - Douglas C Bauer
AU  - Stephen B Kritchevsky
AU  - Yongmei Liu
AU  - Anne B Newman
AU  - Tamara B Harris
AU  - Annemie M W J Schols
AU  - For the Health ABC Study
TI  - Is age-related decline in lean mass and physical function accelerated by obstructive lung disease or smoking?
AID  - 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200010
DP  - 2011 Nov 01
TA  - Thorax
PG  - 961--969
VI  - 66
IP  - 11
4099  - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/66/11/961.short
4100  - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/66/11/961.full
SO  - Thorax2011 Nov 01; 66
AB  - Background and aims Cross-sectional studies suggest that obstructive lung disease (OLD) and smoking affect lean mass and mobility. A study was undertaken to investigate whether OLD and smoking accelerate the ageing-related decline in lean mass and physical functioning.Methods 260 patients with OLD (mean±SD forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 63±18% predicted), 157 smoking controls (FEV1 95±16% predicted), 866 former-smoking controls (FEV1 100±16% predicted) and 891 never-smoking controls (FEV1 104±17% predicted) participating in the Health, Aging and Body Composition (ABC) Study were studied. At baseline the mean age was 74±3 years and participants reported no functional limitations. Baseline and 7-year longitudinal data of body composition (by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), muscle strength (by hand and leg dynamometry) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were investigated.Results Compared with never-smoking controls, patients with OLD and smoking controls had a significantly lower weight, fat mass, lean mass and bone mineral content (BMC) at baseline (p<0.05). While the loss of weight, fat mass, lean mass and strength was comparable between patients with OLD and never-smoking controls, the SPPB declined 0.12 points/year faster in men with OLD (p=0.01) and BMC declined 4 g/year faster in women with OLD (p=0.02). In smoking controls only lean mass declined 0.1 kg/year faster in women (p=0.03) and BMC 8 g/year faster in men (p=0.02) compared with never-smoking controls.Conclusions Initially well-functioning older adults with mild-to-moderate OLD and smokers without OLD have a comparable compromised baseline profile of body composition and physical functioning, while 7-year longitudinal trajectories are to a large extent comparable to those observed in never-smokers without OLD. This suggests a common insult earlier in life related to smoking.