Decreased resting energy expenditure in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Background: Skeletal muscle metabolism is a major determinant of resting energy expenditure (REE). Although the severe muscle loss that characterizes Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) may alter REE, this has not been extensively investigated.

Methods: We studied REE in 77 patients with DMD ranging in age from 10 to 37 years using a portable indirect calorimeter, together with several clinical parameters (age, height, body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), vital capacity (VC), creatine kinase, creatinine, albumin, cholinesterase, prealbumin), and assessed their influence on REE.