Association of respiratory function with physical performance, physical activity, and sedentary behavior in older adults.
Hideo Kaneko
PMID 32158069WHAT IT FOUND
In 62 ambulatory older adults, more sedentary time was linked to lower lung capacity, better chair-stand performance to stronger breathing in, and more non-walking activity to stronger breathing out.
No activity, performance, or sedentary factor was linked to the forced breath-out measure.
Key findings
01Percent sedentary time, 30-second chair stand performance, and non-locomotive moderate-to-vigorous activity were independently associated with forced vital capacity, maximum inspiratory pressure, and maximum expiratory pressure, respectively.
02No activity, performance, or sedentary variable was independently associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second.
03Nine participants had a restrictive lung pattern.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 62 of 69 recruited participants were analysed, and the sample was small. The study was cross-sectional, so it can show association but not cause. Participants had to be ambulatory, community-dwelling, and free of cardiopulmonary disease and airflow limitation, so it does not speak to people with diagnosed lung disease or severe mobility limitation. Accelerometer data needed at least 4 valid days, which the authors say may underestimate sedentary time. The authors note findings may not generalize to other populations.
Declared interests
The author declared no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant number JP17K01792.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reducing sedentary time or increasing chair-stand or non-locomotive activity will improve respiratory function. These were cross-sectional associations in ambulatory older adults without airflow limitation, and the study did not test change over time.