RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of morbid obesity on the lung age in women and to correlate with body mass, body mass index (BMI), and ventilatory variables. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with 72 morbidly obese women and a control group consisting of 37 normal weight women. The subjects performed a pulmonary function test to determine lung age, and the results were correlated to anthropometric variables and lung volumes. RESULTS: The morbidly obese group had significantly higher lung age (50.1±6.8 years) than the control group (38.8±11.4 years). There was no difference in chronological age between groups. There was a significant positive correlation among chronological age, body mass, BMI, and lung age (r=0.3647, 0.4182, and 0.3743, respectively). There was a negative correlation among forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, expiratory reserve volume (ERV), and lung age (r=-0.7565, -0.8769, --0.2723, and -0.2417, respectively). CONCLUSION: Lung age is increased in morbidly obese women and is associated with increased body mass and BMI.