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Thoracoabdominal asynchrony associates with exercise intolerance in fibrotic interstitial lung diseases
Author(s) -
Santana Pauliane Vieira,
Cardenas Leticia Zumpano,
Ferreira Jeferson George,
Carvalho Carlos Roberto Ribeiro,
Albuquerque André Luis Pereira,
Caruso Pedro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1111/resp.14064
Subject(s) - medicine , exercise intolerance , interstitial lung disease , cardiology , muscles of respiration , pulmonary function testing , vital capacity , respiratory system , lung volumes , lung , lung function , diffusing capacity , heart failure
Background and objective The precise coordination of respiratory muscles during exercise minimizes work of breathing and avoids exercise intolerance. Fibrotic interstitial lung disease (f‐ILD) patients are exercise‐intolerant. We assessed whether respiratory muscle incoordination and thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) occur in f‐ILD during exercise, and their relationship with pulmonary function and exercise performance. Methods We compared breathing pattern, respiratory mechanics, TAA and respiratory muscle recruitment in 31 f‐ILD patients and 31 healthy subjects at rest and during incremental cycle exercise. TAA was defined as phase angle (PhAng) >20°. Results During exercise, when compared with controls, f‐ILD patients presented increased and early recruitment of inspiratory rib cage muscle ( p < 0.05), and an increase in PhAng, indicating TAA. TAA was more frequent in f‐ILD patients than in controls, both at 50% of the maximum workload (42.3% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.01) and at the peak (53.8% vs. 23%, p = 0.02). Compared with f‐ILD patients without TAA, f‐ILD patients with TAA had lower lung volumes (forced vital capacity, p < 0.01), greater dyspnoea (Medical Research Council > 2 in 64.3%, p = 0.02), worse exercise performance (lower maximal work rate % predicted, p = 0.03; lower tidal volume, p = 0.03; greater desaturation and dyspnoea, p < 0.01) and presented higher oesophageal inspiratory pressures with lower gastric inspiratory pressures and higher recruitment of scalene ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Exercise induces TAA and higher recruitment of inspiratory accessory muscle in ILD patients. TAA during exercise occurred in more severely restricted ILD patients and was associated with exertional dyspnoea, desaturation and limited exercise performance.