Pulmonary Function in Obese Persons12

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report a study of lung function in extremely obese persons. In 1936, Kerr and Lagen (2) called attention to the fact that some obese persons develop dyspnea, cya- nosis, polycythemia, and cardiac failure. They thought that these signs and symptoms developed because of mechanical interference with ventilation, especially movement of the diaphragm. Sieker, Estes, Kelser and McIntosh (3) reported studies in four obese patients and postulated a cardiorespiratory syndrome peculiar to obese per- sons and characterized by somnolence, Cheyne-Stokes respirations, intermittent cyanosis, and polycythemia. At the same time that Sieker and his associates were working on this problem, Auchincloss, Cook and Renzetti (4) and Weil and Prasad (5) observed a peculiar type of polycy- themia associated with obesity. Most of the in- vestigators previously mentioned have reported additional patients characterized by obesity, hypoxemia, polycythemia and alveolar hypoventilation (6-9), and they have been joined by others (10-18). Burwell, Robin, Whaley and Bickel- mann (12) have given the picturesque name "Pickwickian Syndrome" to this combination of signs and symptoms.