Several nutrients have been suggested to protect against airway destruction via antioxidant activity. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between disease severity and dietary nutrient intake in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of the 22,948 participants, 702 patients (418 men and 284 women) with COPD, who were defined as the fifth percentile from a reference population were selected. The severity of airflow limitation was measured by the predicted percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%). The Jonckheere-Terpstra test was used to evaluate the dose-dependent association between nutrient intake and disease severity. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between dietary nutrient intake and predicted FEV1%. Vitamin A intake showed a positive association with FEV1% in men in a model adjusted for covariates. Carbohydrate, protein, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C intake were significantly associated with decreased disease severity in elderly men (aged ≥60 years). On the contrary, statistical significance was not observed for all the nutrients in women. In conclusion, intake of carbohydrate, protein, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C was associated with decreased severity of airway impairment in elderly men with COPD. Our results are in line with those of previous studies into the importance of nutritional status in airway disease. A longitudinal study is required to clarify the mechanisms underlying the association between dietary nutrient intake and COPD severity.
Keywords: COPD; KNHANES; nutrient; spirometry.