Nutrition management in long-term care and home health: Nutrition management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in older adults

Pulmonary disease is the fourth leading cause of death for American adults. The link between nutrition and pulmonary disease is not as well recognized as it is for other chronic conditions. Dietary guidelines which reflect the needs of persons with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) can lesson many of the medical symp-toms by helping to maintain calorie reserves, muscle mass, fluid balance and mineral balance. Weight loss is a predictor of poor prognosis for those with COPD. Strategies are recommended to prevent or reverse undesirable weight loss which if left untreated could contribute to chronic mouth breathing, aerophagia, chronic sputum production, dysp-nea, nausea, infections and increased cytokines.