We investigated whether older adults (OA) with obesity are more likely to have dyspnea compared with OA without obesity, and whether OA with obesity are at a greater risk of having dyspnea compared with middle-aged (MA) and younger adults (YA) with obesity. We obtained de-identified data from the TriNetX UT Southwestern Medical Center database. We identified obesity and dyspnea using ICD-10-CM codes E66 and R06.0, respectively. Patients were separated into three age groups: OA, (65-75 y.o.), MA (45-55 y.o.), and YA (25-35 y.o). Within these groups, those with and without obesity or dyspnea were identified for analysis. The risk of dyspnea was greater in OA (risk ratio: 3.64), MA (risk ratio: 3.52), and YA (risk ratio: 2.76) with obesity compared with age-matched patients without obesity (all p < 0.01). The risk of dyspnea was greater in OA and MA with obesity compared with YA with obesity (both p < 0.001 vs. YA). These findings suggest that clinicians should consider obesity as an independent risk factor for dyspnea.
Keywords: Aging; Breathlessness; Obesity; Overweight.
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