Possibilities of Assessing Respiratory Muscle Strength and Trunk Muscle Mass in the Prevention of Sarcopenia in Older People Living in the Community

Yutaro Hyodo
 Takumi Jiroumaru
 Kenji Mori
 Tomoka Hattori
 Yasumasa Oka
 Minoru Kuroda
 Takamitsu Fujikawa

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between respiratory muscle strength and skeletal muscle mass (trunk
 upper limbs
 and lower limbs) in older people who were certified as requiring nursing or supportive care. Methods: Thirty-five older people (65 years or older) who were certified as requiring nursing care or support were included in the study. The subjects were divided into a non-sarcopenic group (n = 12) and a sarcopenic group (n = 23) according to the sarcopenia diagnostic criteria proposed by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Maximum inspiratory pressure
 maximum expiratory pressure
 skeletal muscle mass (trunk
 upper and lower limbs)
 and hand grip strength were measured. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used for statistical processing. Results: In the non-sarcopenic group
 both expiratory muscle strength and hand grip strength were correlated with skeletal muscle mass. In the sarcopenia group
 expiratory muscle strength was not correlated with skeletal muscle mass
 and only hand grip strength was correlated with upper limb muscle mass. Multiple regression analysis revealed that
 in the non-sarcopenic group
 trunk muscle mass was the primary factor in expiratory muscle strength and upper limb muscle mass was the primary factor in hand grip strength. In the sarcopenia group
 upper limb muscle mass was found to be the main factor in hand grip strength. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of assessing expiratory muscle strength and trunk muscle mass before sarcopenia develops in older people who require support and nursing care.

Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation

11

03

10.4236/ojtr.2023.113007