The relationship between lower limb muscle strength and lower extremity function in HIV disease.
Peter C Mhariwa, Hellen Myezwa, Mary L Galantino and 1 others
PMID 30135905WHAT IT FOUND
In HIV-positive adults on HAART, lower limb strength was associated with 50% of self-reported lower limb function.
Ankle plantar flexors contributed most, and knee extensors least.
Key findings
01Lower limb muscle strength was associated with 50% of self-reported lower extremity function in the HIV-positive cohort.
02Ankle plantar flexors contributed the most to lower extremity function, and knee extensors contributed the least.
03HIV-negative participants had higher mean strength than HIV-positive participants in all tested muscle groups, but knee flexor and extensor differences were not significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This was an observational study, so it cannot show that strength causes function or that improving strength will improve function. The HIV-negative comparison group was small (n = 30) and younger than the HIV-positive group: 80% of HIV-negative participants were under 40 years, while 70% of HIV-positive participants were 40 to 69 years. The strength-function regression was only performed in the HIV-positive group, so the relationship was not tested in the HIV-negative group. Participants had to be ambulant and adherent to HAART, so the results may not apply to people with HIV who are less mobile or not on treatment. Self-reported function may be influenced by factors other than strength, such as transport, employment and housing.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 50% association as proof that strength causes function or that resistance training will improve function. This study measured strength and function without testing a treatment.