Effects of expiratory muscle training on the frail elderly's respiratory function.

There was no control group or comparison condition, so time, practice, maturation, or other day-care activities cannot be separated from the training. The study included only 29 Japanese day-care users with Care Grade 1 or 2, so it may not apply to people with higher care needs, different settings, or other countries. The paper did not name a primary outcome, and several breathing measures did not show significant change. Aspiration pneumonia, activities of daily living, and quality of life were mentioned but not measured. The paper notes that people could withdraw for infection or inability to continue, but does not report how many withdrew or the final analysed number. The authors recommend medical checks before starting training, but the paper does not report detailed adverse events.

No funding source is reported. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Do not conclude that expiratory muscle training improves respiratory function or prevents aspiration pneumonia. The study had no control group, and it measured breathing tests, not aspiration events.