Jadiane Dionísio

Maximal respiratory pressure in healthy 20 to 89 year-old sedentary individuals of central São Paulo State

Objetivos: Avaliar a forca muscular respiratoria (FMR) em uma amostra composta apenas por individuos sedentarios saudaveis e comparar com os valores preditos; correlacionar os valores de pressao inspiratoria maxima (PImax) e expiratoria maxima (PEmax) com a idade, peso e altura, e propor equacoes preditivas de PImax e PEmax para essa populacao. Metodos: Foram selecionados 140 individuos saudaveis e sedentarios, sendo 70 homens (55±20 anos) e 70 mulheres (54±21 anos) que foram separados em grupos de acordo com a idade. A FMR foi obtida por meio de um manovacuometro aneroide (±300 cmH2O). RESULTADOS: Foi verificada reducao significativa da FMR com o avancar da idade (ANOVA one-way, p<0,05). Alem disso, os valores de FMR foram significativamente menores em relacao aos valores preditos a partir dos 40 anos (Teste t de Student, p<0,05). Tambem foram observadas correlacoes significativas da FMR com a idade, peso e altura (correlacao de Pearson, p<0,05). Quando realizadas as equacoes preditivas por meio de regressao linear para as pressoes respiratorias maximas em cada genero, verificou-se que a idade em ambos os sexos e o peso para as mulheres exerceram influencia na predicao dos valores de PImax e PEmax. Conclusoes: Os resultados mostraram que a idade e as caracteristicas antropometricas exercem influencia nos valores de FMR. Os valores de FMR foram menores em relacao aos valores preditos devido ao fato de a amostra ser composta exclusivamente por sujeitos sedentarios. Neste contexto, propoem-se equacoes para predizer os valores de PImax e PEmax exclusivamente para individuos saudaveis sedentarios de 20 a 89 anos.OBJECTIVES To evaluate respiratory muscle strength (RMS) in a sample composed exclusively of healthy sedentary individuals and to compare with predicted values, to investigate the relationship between maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and age, weight and height, and propose predictive equations of MIP and MEP for this population. METHODS Subjects were 140 healthy and sedentary individuals: 70 males (55+/-20 years) and 70 females (54+/-21 years), separated into groups according to age. The RMS was obtained with an aneroid vacuum manometer (+/-300 cmH2O). RESULTS There was a significant reduction in RMS with increasing age (ANOVA one-way, p<0.05). Moreover, the RMS values decreased significantly from age 40 compared to the predicted values (Student t test, p<0.05). There were also significant correlations of RMS with age, weight and height (Pearson correlation, p<0.05). The predictive equations using linear regression for maximal respiratory pressures according to sex showed that age in males and females and weight in females influenced the prediction of the MIP and MEP values. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that age and anthropometric characteristics influence RMS values. In addition, the RMS values were lower compared to the predicted values from age 40 because the sample was composed exclusively of sedentary individuals. In this context, we propose equations to predict the MIP and MEP values exclusively for healthy, sedentary individuals from 20 to 89 years of age.

Prevalence of reduced respiratory muscle strength in institutionalized elderly people

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES Respiratory muscle strength is relevant to the clinical situation of elderly patients, particularly those presenting with respiratory or cardiac diseases. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the respiratory muscle strength of institutionalized elderly women, compare this with predicted values for the Brazilian population and calculate the correlation with age and anthropometric characteristics. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional study at the Department of Physiotherapy of Universidade Camilo Castelo Branco. METHODS The participants were 56 institutionalized elderly women (74.87 +/- 10.55 years of age), evaluated in eight institutions in three cities in the central region of the State of São Paulo, between January 2005 and March 2006. They were separated into three subgroups according to age: 60-69 years (n = 20), 70-79 (n = 18) and 80-89 years (n = 18). Maximal respiratory pressures were obtained using a manovacuometer. The values obtained were compared between subgroups and with predicted values. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate age, weight, height and body mass index in relation to maximal respiratory pressures. The significance level was P < 0.05. RESULTS No significant differences in maximal respiratory pressures were seen between the three subgroups. The maximal respiratory pressures were significantly lower in the three subgroups, compared with predicted values. Negative correlations between maximal respiratory pressures and age and positive correlations in relation to weight, height and body mass index were found. CONCLUSIONS Respiratory muscle strength was markedly reduced in institutionalized 60 to 89-year-old women and the values demonstrated correlations with age and anthropometric characteristics.