Analysis of the influential factors of maximal-effort expiratory capacity of elderly women.
Bomjin Lee, Soyun Park, Dongwook Han
PMID 27821963WHAT IT FOUND
In older women, age was the strongest factor tied to lower breathing capacity; height was linked to measures of air volume, while weight was not when age and height were considered.
Key findings
01In older women, age was the strongest factor linked to lower FVC and FEV1, while weight was not linked once height and age were considered.
02Age was linked to FEV1/FVC and to the MEF measures, while height and weight were not in the final models.
03Weight was linked to FVC and FEV1 only when it was considered alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only women aged above 65 years, so the results should not be applied to men or younger adults. The participants were recruited from community education and senior centres and had to be able to move freely, have no respiratory disease, no breathing difficulty, and not smoke, so people with more severe limitations were not represented. The study measured associations at one time point, so it cannot show that age, height, or weight caused changes in lung function. The study did not measure body composition, upper-body fat distribution, respiratory muscle strength, posture, or spinal changes, which the authors note could affect lung function.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that weight has no relationship to breathing capacity. Weight was linked to FVC and FEV1 when considered alone, but that link disappeared after height and age were included. Also, this was an association study, so it cannot show that changing weight or height changes lung function.