Hui Gao,1 Xi Cheng,1 Xu Zuo,2 Zhaolan Huang2 

1Department of General Practice, Tianyou Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory and Digestive, Geriatric Hospital Affiliated with Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430000, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Zhaolan Huang, Department of Respiratory and Digestive, Geriatric Hospital Affiliated with Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. 2, Huangjiahu West Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-19819051958, Email 45477428@qq.com

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) progression in the elderly is notably influenced by nutritional, immune, and inflammatory status. This study aimed to investigate the impact of adequate energy supply on these indicators in COPD patients.
Methods: COPD patients meeting specific criteria were recruited and categorized into energy-adequate and energy-deficient groups based on their energy supply. Comparable demographic factors such as age, gender, smoking and drinking history, COPD duration, inhaled drug classification, and home oxygen therapy application were observed. Notable differences were found in BMI and inhaled drug use between the two groups.
Results: The energy-adequate group exhibited significant improvements in various health indicators, including lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, CRP, total cholesterol, prealbumin, albumin, PNI, SII, SIRI, CAR, and CONUT scores in the secondary auxiliary examination. These positive changes suggest a notable enhancement in nutritional, immune, and inflammatory status.
Conclusion: This research highlights the substantial benefits of adequate energy supply in elderly COPD patients. The observed improvements in nutritional, immune, and inflammatory markers underscore the importance of addressing energy needs to positively influence disease-related outcomes in this population. These findings have implications for developing targeted interventions to optimize the well-being of elderly individuals with COPD.

Keywords: elderly, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, energy supply, nutritional status, immune function, inflammatory response