Muscle strength, functionality and distance traveled in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The functional status of individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), considered a predictive indicator of clinical condition and quality of life of this population. OBJECTIVE: To analyze muscle strength, morbidity, quality of life and distance traveled in patients with COPD and compare compare them with the group non-COPD. METHODS: Fifty-eight volunteers were evaluated, 29 from the COPD group, classified as GOLD II and 29 in the non-COPD group, with the following parameters measured: pulmonary function; anthropometric variables; muscle strength; morbidity through the Body mass index, airway Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE); quality of life with the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ); lung capacity through the distance covered in the six-minute walk test. For statistical analysis, the Shapiro Wilk test and the Mann-Whitney or Student t tests were performed, as well as the Pearson correlation test, for p values < 0,05. RESULTS: The mean total age was 61±7 years, the strength of knee extensors (p 0.0004), with lower strength (N) values for the COPD group 110,61±41,69; compared to the non-COPD group 156,31±44,09, the strength of elbow flexors (p 0,004) stands out, with 96,34±26,15 for the COPD group, compared to the non-COPD group 118,19±34,71. In the distance covered in the 6MWT, the COPD group covered an average of 274± 107,86 and the non-COPD group 384,98±100,47 (p<0,05). The BODE presented a correlation between (r = -0,79) and the distance covered in the 6MWT and (r =0,72) with the total Saint George. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD presented a reduction in muscle strength of the upper limbs, knee extensors and the distance covered, when compared with the non-COPD group.