Handgrip strength and health related quality of life in individuals with copd

In individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), skeletal muscle wasting and changes in muscle fiber composition limit the muscle strength with consequences on daily physical activities. In the present study we aimed to investigate about the interconnection among upper limb strength, body composition and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with COPD to verify the impact of muscle mass loss on HRQoL. Twenty-six consecutive patients (69.2% male; age: 69.7±7.29 years) with COPD were included. Patients underwent pulmonary function tests. Body composition was evaluated through Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA); handgrip test was used for measure upper limb strength. St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was used to evaluate patients’ HRQoL. Upper limb muscle strength was negatively correlated with SGRQ (Pearson=-0.571; p=0.002) in particular with activity and impact domains (Pearson=-0.668; p<0.001 and Pearson =-0.461; p=0.02). Multivariate linear regression confirm that poor handgrip strength is a predictor of worse SGRQ after adjusting for gender, age, fat free mass index and inhaled corticosteroids use (p=0.012). Upper limb muscle strength and body composition are two essential tools in the multisystemic assessment of patients with COPD.