Handgrip Strength and Pulmonary Disease in the Elderly: What is the Link?

Abstract

Societies in developed countries are aging at an unprecedented rate. Considering that aging is the most significant risk factor for many chronic lung diseases (CLDs), understanding this process may facilitate the development of new interventionist approaches. Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a serious problem in older adults with CLDs, reducing their quality of life and survival. In this study, we reviewed the possible links between handgrip strength (HGS)-a simple, noninvasive, low-cost measure of muscle function-and CLDs in the elderly. Different mechanisms appear to be involved in this association, including systemic inflammation, chronic hypoxemia, physical inactivity, malnutrition, and corticosteroid use. Respiratory and peripheral myopathy, associated with muscle atrophy and a shift in muscle fiber type, also seem to be major etiological contributors to CLDs. Moreover, sarcopenic obesity, which occurs in older adults with CLDs, impairs common inflammatory pathways that can potentiate each other and further accelerate the functional decline of HGS. Our findings support the concept that the systemic effects of CLDs may be determined by HGS, and HGS is a relevant measurement that should be considered in the clinical assessment of the elderly with CLDs. These reasons make HGS a useful practical tool for indirectly evaluating functional status in the elderly. At present, early muscle reconditioning and optimal nutrition appear to be the most effective approaches to reduce the impact of CLDs and low muscle strength on the quality of life of these individuals. Nonetheless, larger in-depth studies are needed to evaluate the link between HGS and CLDs.

Nutritional status and quality of life in interstitial lung disease: a prospective cohort study

“…Fortunately, the impairment in muscle function appears to be partially reversible with training [42]. Currently, optimal nutrition and early muscle reconditioning are considered to be the most effective strategies in reducing the impact of chronic lung diseases and low muscle strength on the quality of life of these individuals [43]. Pulmonary rehabilitation has been shown to improve exercise capacity, decrease dyspnoea and help to cope with daily activities in IPF patients, even though benefits are smaller and last for less time compared to other chronic lung diseases such as COPD [44,45].…”

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscular Strength Compared to Predicted Values in Patients with Stroke

“…Studies evaluating muscle respiratory strength in sedentary and physically active elderly women [22,23], verified by MIP and MEP, were higher in the participants-a fact also observed in the literature where it was related that physical exercises in general, even if not oriented to the respiratory muscles and/or pulmonary function, resulted in better respiratory muscle performance [22,24,25]. This allows us to explain in our study that the 64-year-old patient, who regularly practices short walks, reaches the predicted values according to age.…”

Decreased handgrip strength can predict lung function impairment in male workers: a cross sectional study

“…HGS and the STS tests, were reported to be useful for predicting mortality and health-related quality of life in COPD patients [6,12]. Although there is abundant literature on the association between lung function and HGS, most of them have been studied in the elderly or have investigated the association between disease that has already developed and HGS [13,14]. In a general population, there are a number individuals with reduced FEV1 and FVC levels, and they have a poorer survival rate than those with normal spirometry results [15].…”