Sex, girth, waists and hips (what matters for gas exchange in extreme obesity?)

What matters for gas exchange (arterial blood-gas status) in the obese? The empirical literature to date suggests that sex matters, with women exhibiting better gas exchange (higher arterial oxygen pressure and lower alveolar-to-arterial oxygen pressure difference) than men. Our findings suggest that women are not better at gas exchange than men because they are women per se. Rather women exhibit better gas exchange than men because they have smaller waists relative to their hips. The findings also imply that all fat mass is not created equal with respect to gas exchange.En : Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology
Volume 170, Issue 1, 31 January 2010, Pages 120-122