LIVING WITH COPD
WHY STRONG MUSCLES AND GOOD NUTRITION ARE IMPORTANT
WHY STRONG MUSCLES AND GOOD NUTRITION ARE IMPORTANT
This page introduces the importance of nutrition and muscle health to help you manage your COPD. It provides guidance and information on how to get the right nutrition and support to keep you strong and healthy.
MALNUTRITION, MUSCLE HEALTH AND COPDMalnutrition is when the body doesn’t get enough energy and/or nutrients to work properly. This is usually because of sickness, injuries, or not feeling as hungry as you usually would.2,3
WHY STRONG MUSCLES ARE IMPORTANT IF YOU HAVE COPD?Did you know that breathing can take 10x more energy for people who have COPD?4
Getting all of the right protein, energy, vitamins and minerals and having strong muscles can help make it easier to breathe and can support your overall wellbeing. But COPD can cause changes in the body, which can weaken and shrink your muscles, which can make it harder to breathe and can make your COPD symptoms worse.2 People with COPD sometimes find it hard to eat because of their COPD symptoms, which means a lot of the time, they don’t get the nutrients their bodies need.2,5
This might lead to:
More trips to the hospital6
Increased risk of COPD flare-ups5
Not being able to exercise much7
Other health problems8
DID YOU KNOW?
Getting the right protein, energy, vitamins and minerals can be really important for helping you to manage your COPD.
Good nutrition can help stop your muscles from getting weaker or smaller, make sure you have a healthy weight,2 and give you more energy.11
If you are losing weight, your muscles are getting weaker, or you have signs that you are becoming malnourished, you should speak to your healthcare professional (e.g. GP, nurse, dietitian) right away. Whilst weight loss is one sign that you may be malnourished, it isn’t the only symptom, and you don’t have to be underweight to experience malnutrition.
LOOK OUT FOR THESE SYMPTOMS OF MALNUTRITION AND LOSING MUSCLE:3
If you see any of these signs, speak to a healthcare professional, who can check whether you are getting the nutrients you need to help you stay strong and healthy.
References:
1. NHS, 2023. COPD. Available online: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/. Last accessed October 2023.
2. Malnutrition Pathway, 2020. Managing Malnutrition in COPD: Including a pathway for the appropriate use of ONS to support community healthcare professionals. Available online: https://www.malnutritionpathway.co.uk/library/mm_copd.pdf. Last accessed August 2021. 3. NHS, 2020. Malnutrition. Available online: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malnutrition/. Last accessed April 2023.
4. American Lung Association, 2023. Nutrition and COPD. Available online: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/living-with-copd/nutrition Last accessed October 2023
5. Itoh M et al. Nutrients 2013;5:1316-1335.
6. Barreiro E & Jaitovich AJ. Journ Thorac Dis 2018;10(12):S1415-S1424.
7. Passey SL. et al. Pharmacol Ther 2016;56-70.
8. Fekete M et al. Physiology International 2021;108(2):238-250
9. Abdulai RM et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2018;15;197(4):433-449
10. Mete B, et al. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2018 Oct 11;13:3307-3312.
11. Rawal G & Yadav S. Journ of Trans Int Med 2015;3(4):151–154.
This website has been developed taking into account feedback from patients, facilitated by the Patients Association.
SESSION TIMEOUT
You have now gained access to ProConnect for a limited time. We will now verify your details before your account becomes fully active.
You are now able to freely access all resources and education during this visit to the ProConnect website. An email will be sent to you within 2 working days to activate your account which will complete your registration process.
Added to Bag
ENSURE PLUS
1 x 220 ml
Flavor: Apple
1,5 kcal / ml
Nutrition Information
| Unit | Per {ml-col-1} ml | Per {ml-col-2} ml |
| Unit | Per {ml-col-1} ml | Per {ml-col-2} ml |
| Unit | Per {ml-col-1} ml | Per {ml-col-2} ml |
footnotes
Product details not available.
You are about to exit for another Abbott country or region specific website.
Please be aware that the website you have requested is intended for the residents of a particular country or region, as noted on that site. As a result, the site may contain information on pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other products or uses of those products that are not approved in other countries or regions.
The website you have requested also may not be optimised for your specific screen size.
Do you wish to continue and exit this website?
UK-N/A-2200465 | July 2022
This website is for UK HCPs and UK Patients only. If you are outside of the UK please visit our global website Abbott.com
If you choose "I am a patient/carer”, you will be entering a website intended for patients and carers which has information on Abbott products. Products on this website are to be used under medical supervision. If you have questions about the product information discussed on this website, you should consult with your healthcare professional.
Stay Connected