Comparison of respiratory muscle strength between fragility subgroups in community elderly

Abstract

The fragility consist in a tripod comprising: sarcopenia, immune dysregulation, and neuroendocrine dysfunction. Sarcopenia is defined as a decrease in strength and muscle power, so that the respiratory muscles are also affected. The aim was to compare respiratory muscle strength (RMS) in elderly community residents, classified as nonfrail (NF), pre frail (PF) and frail (F), and correlate RMS with the handgrip strength (HS). The study was cross-sectional, with a convenience sample of 106 elderly women. Participants were classified according to the phenotype of frailty. The RMS was assessed by maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP). Significant differences were found in RMS between groups NF and F (MIP: p=0.001 and MEP: p<0.001) and between groups PF and F (MIP: p<0.001 and MEP: p<0.001). In relation to HS, significant differences were observed between all groups (p<0.001). There was correlation between HS and RMS only in the frail group. Thus, the HS may be important in the clinical evaluation to differentiate subgroups of fragility and identify the loss of muscle strength, including the loss of RMS.