Don't forget the diet

This one-page Lancet Respiratory Medicine editorial focuses on the need for clinicians to address diet and nutrition as part of their comprehensive care for COPD patients. Addressed are COPD-specific factors (e.g., the extra calorie expenditure associated with effort required to breathe); the recent expert British report "Managing Malnutrition in COPD" and recommended nutritional screening; the threat of obesity in COPD patients and associated risks; and a need for further research and attention to the field. The referenced Malnutrition Universal Screening tool is linked in the article.