Exercise Capacity and Dyspnea in Obese Patients With Metabolic Syndrome: Effects of Weight Loss

Dyspnea is a common complaint in obese patients. The mechanisms behind this dyspnea and the effects of weight loss on dyspnea are not completely understood. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationships between exercise parameters and dyspnea in obesity and assess the effects of weight loss. The investigators compared pulmonary function, exercise performance and dyspnea in 34 patients with abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) against 34 age and sex-matched controls. The study also assessed within-group changes in physiology and symptoms in a subset of patients following participation in a weight management program. Because obesity is a heterogeneous condition, with variable genetic associations, co-morbidities and distributions of adipose tissue, the study focused on patients with abdominal obesity who met diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome.