Exercise Capacity in Unilateral Diaphragm Paralysis: The Effect of Obesity.

Purpose: Healthy patients with unilateral diaphragm paralysis (UDP) are often asymptomatic; those with UDP and comorbidities that increase work of breathing are often dyspneic. We report the effect of obesity on exercise capacity in UDP patients.

Methods: All obese and nonobese patients with UDP undergoing cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) during a 32-month period in the exercise laboratory of an academic hospital were compared to a retrospectively identified cohort of obese and nonobese controls without UDP, matched for key features.