Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and body mass index in five Latin America cities: The PLATINO study

Summary Background The body mass index (BMI) is a prognostic factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite its importance, little information is available regarding BMI alteration in COPD from a population-based study. We examined characteristics by BMI categories in the total and COPD populations in five Latin-American cities, and explored the factors influencing BMI in COPD. Methods COPD was defined as a postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity (FEV1 /FVC)