One of the goals in treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who suffer from hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and malnutrition is to correct the malnutrition without increasing the respiratory quotient and minimize the production of carbon dioxide. This 3-wk study evaluated the efficacy of feeding a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (CHO) nutritional supplement as opposed to a high-carbohydrate diet in COPD patients on parameters of pulmonary function. Methods Sixty COPD patients with low body weight (<90% ideal body weight) were randomized to the control group, which received dietary counseling for a high-CHO diet (15% protein, 20% to 30% fat, and 60% to...