Exercise capacity and pulmonary function in individuals with leprosy

Abstract

[b][a] Master in Bioscience and Health at Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, physical therapist, professor at Faculdade Assis Gurgacz, Cascavel, PR -Brazil, e-mail: marcelotaglietti@gmail.com [b] Doctor in Medicine and Health Sciences at Universidade Estadual de Londrina, physical therapist, professor at Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, PR -Brazil, e-mail: lumarina@certto.com.br [R] Abstract Introduction: In Brazil 23% of leprosy patients have some type of physical disability after discharge. The impact on the respiratory system and correlation with functional exercise capacity is still unknown. Objective: To correlate the functional exercise capacity and pulmonary function in individuals with leprosy sequelae. Materials and methods: We evaluated 20 subjects and 25 controls by sensory evaluation, muscle strength, graduate the grade of physical disability followed by pulmonary function tests with spirometry and manovacuometry, besides the functional exercise capacity through the six minute walking distance (6MWD). Results: The majority (75%) of the subjects showed physical disability grade 1. The mean of the maximal inspiratory pressure were below than normal -71 ± 31 cmH 2 0 and maximal expiratory pressure +89 ± 22 cmH 2 0. Spirometric values presented measures within normal value. The functional exercise capacity found a reduced value with a distance of 404 ± 92m. Positive and statistically significant correlation between the inspiratory pressures with 6MWD (r = 0.49, p = 0.025) and, similarly, expiratory pressure (r = 0.53, p = 0.004). The same evidence is found in maximal respiratory pressures of individuals in grade 1 with significant correlations (r = 0.52, p = 0.036) and (r = 0.51, p = 0.042). Conclusion: Individuals with leprosy sequelae had impaired respiratory muscle strength and functional

Pulmonary dysfunction-an overt leprosy sequel: study done in a rehabilitation centre

“…The neural damage in leprosy related to the respiratory system was indicted by reduction the respiratory muscle strength and the reduction may be due to the chronicity of the disease in which the affected individual have the disease sequelae and high levels of physical disability. 29 Forced vital capacity measure the change in lung position from maximal inspiration to maximal expiration considered a measure of the subject's ability to change the size of the thoracic cavity. This is influenced by all the muscles of respiration with their innervations, by lung elasticity and by the patency of the airways.…”