Cardiorespiratory repercussions of the chest physical therapy in men with abdominal obesity and restrictive pulmonary disorders

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to compare cardiorespiratory effects in men with restrictive lung disorders, according to the abdominal circumference (AC), undergoing respiratory physical therapy.

Materials and methods: Quasi-experimental study with a sample 26 men with forced vital capacity (FVC)_pred <80%, who were divided into two groups: AC (cm) < 102 (AC_{free_risk}) and ≥ 102 (AC_risk). Heart rate variability (HRV), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), blood pressure (BP), lung capacities and maximal expiratory pressure (PE_max) were measured at rest (T₁), immediately after physical therapy intervention (T₂), which consisted of breathing exercises for pulmonary expansion, active kinesiotherapy to lower and upper limbs, and after 30 min (T₃). The statistical tests used were ANOVA and independent t tests (p < .05).

Results: AC_risk had the highest values for slow vital capacity (SVC), inspiratory capacity (IC), PEmax and systolic BP (p < .05); there was an increase in HRV (T2), SpO₂ (%) [95.0 (2.5) to 96.6 (1.4)] and IC (l) [2.4 (0.5) to 2.7 (0.6)] (T3).

Conclusions: Men with restrictive respiratory disorders and AC ≥102 has higher values in the inspiratory capacities and arterial pressure level, and benefit from respiratory physiotherapy by differential increase in IC.

Keywords:

• Physical therapy techniques
• circulatory and respiratory physiological phenomenon
• respiratory therapy
• respiratory function test
• abdominal obesity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.