Erythrocytes Membrane Stability in COPD Patients in Long-Term Home Oxygen Therapy

COPD is a major cause of illness and death worldwide, representing a significant economic and social cost. In the household, it causes concern, limited social life and leisure; commits the budget and shortens life. In the professional field, reduces productivity, anticipates the retirement and results in pension payments and benefits. In the area of health system, motivates repeated calls in emergency rooms, outpatient clinics and is a frequent cause of hospitalizations, which causes high costs for government and society. Most cases can be attributed to smoke. COPD is often developed in middle-aged smokers with long time exposure which have a variety of other diseases related to smoking or aging. COPD itself has also significant extra-pulmonary effects (systemic) that lead to comorbid conditions. Nutritional abnormalities, weight loss and skeletal muscle dysfunction are well-recognized extrapulmonary effects of COPD and patients are at high risk for myocardial infarction, osteoporosis, respiratory infection, bone fractures, depression, sleep disorders, anemia and glaucoma. Thus, this study aims to investigate the erythrocyte membranes stability in patients with COPD compared to healthy individuals, since the loss or damage of the red blood cells may be related to worsening gas exchange of patients and caused, for example, by increased oxidative stress observed in the disease mechanism of COPD patients, especially those with advanced lung disease. Cross-sectional, observational study, which will be compared COPD patients with Advanced Lung disease using Long-Term Home Oxygen Therapy to healthy subjects to evaluate the presence of difference in membrane stability in the red blood cells as well as differences in pulmonary function tests, physical tests, laboratory analysis and presence of oxidative stress, as well as their quality of life. The results obtained after analysis of erythrocyte membranes stability, as well as oxidative stress and functional and laboratory tests will be correlated, both in patients with COPD Long-Term Home Oxygen Therapy as the control group in order to establish relationships between variables and also compare between groups to determine the differences among them.