Relation between hand grip strength, respiratory muscle strength and spirometric measures in male nursing home residents

Abstract

Adverse-outcomes related to sarcopenia are mostly mentioned as physical disability. As the other skeletal muscles, respiratory muscles may also be affected by sarcopenia. Respiratory muscle strength is known to affect pulmonary functions. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relations between extremity muscle strength, respiratory muscle strengths and spirometric measures in a group of male nursing home residents. Among a total of 104 male residents, residents with obstructive measures were excluded and final study population was composed of 62 residents. Mean age was 70.5 ± 6.7 years, body mass index: 27.7 ± 5.3 kg/m2 and dominant hand grip strength: 29.7 ± 6.5 kg. Hand grip strength was positively correlated with maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) (r = 0.35, p < 0.01 and r = 0.26, p < 0.05, respectively). In regression analysis, the only factor related to MIP was hand grip strength; among spirometric measures only parameter significantly related to grip strength was peak cough flow (PCF). The association of PCF with grip strength disappeared when MIP alone or "MIP and MEP" were included in the regression analysis. In the latter case, PCF was significantly associated only with MIP. We found peripheric muscle strength be associated with MIP and PCF but not with MEP or any other spirometric parameters. The relation between peripheral muscle strength and PCF was mediated by MIP. Our findings suggest that sarcopenia may affect inspiratory muscle strength earlier or more than the expiratory muscle strength. Sarcopenia may cause decrease in PCF in the elderly, which may stand for some common adverse respiratory complications.

Correlation Between Maximum Inspiratory Pressure and Hand-Grip Force in Healthy Young and Middle-Age Individuals

“…7 This hypothesis was initially investigated in older adults. 10,11 The current study attempts to validate the previous findings in young and middle-aged individuals. It may also serve as a reference research project for future studies performed in the ICU setting.…”

Coenzyme Q10 Status as a Determinant of Muscular Strength in Two Independent Cohorts

“…Furthermore, reduced grip strength has been associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and is even a stronger predictor than systolic blood pressure [22,23]. Thus, in our study, the values for hand grip were correlated with the CoQ 10 status, age, BMI and peak expiratory flow (PEF) as a measure of respiratory muscle function, which could also be affected in age-associated alterations in skeletal muscles [24]. Accordingly, the EWGSOP identified PEF as an alternative measure of muscle strength.…”

“…Importantly, it has also been shown by Ristow and coworkers [42] that dietary antioxidants could counteract the health-promoting effects of physical exercise due to a suppression of endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms (the so-called “hormesis” effect). In addition to upper body muscular strength (hand grip), we also indicated that peak expiratory flow (PEF) is a function of respiratory muscle, which could also be affected in age-associated alterations in skeletal muscles, which has been shown to be correlated with hand grip strength [24]. In a study comprising data from 960 older individuals, pulmonary function was suggested to partially account for the association of muscle strength and mortality [43].…”

Relationship between pulmonary function and physical performance among community‐living people: results from Look‐up 7+ study

“…Previous studies described that reduced muscle function was correlated with decreased pulmonary function in subjects with lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . Recently, Bahat et al . demonstrated that muscle strength, assessed by handgrip strength, was positively associated with maximal inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength.…”