Median Body Mass Indexes

The Body Mass Index (BMI, a ratio of body weight to stature) is considered as a good indicator of nutritional status. Nutritional status is tightly associated with preservation of lung health and ultimately with life expectancy in CF. Thus it is extremely important to keep the patient’s nutritional status at the best level possible.

In children the BMI is represented as the percentile from the national normative values developed by the CDC. A percentile value of 50% represents a BMI that is comparable to that seen in an average healthy child without CF. The lower the percentile value the more compromised the nutritional status is.

In adults the BMI is represented as the ratio of weight to the square of height. A value below 20 represents the presence of malnutrition. The higher the BMI value the more optimal the nutritional status is.