Association of sarcopenia and respiratory function, physical activity in elderly orthopedic outpatients

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16245
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45060:Applied anthropology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Professional University of Health Sciences (2020-2022); Nagasaki University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Yoshihito 東京保健医療専門職大学, リハビリテーション学部, 講師 (40779584)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: サルコペニア / 呼吸機能 / 運動器疾患 / 痛み

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The relationship between sarcopenia and respiratory function has not been investigated in elderly Japanese orthopedic outpatients. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sarcopenia and respiratory function in elderly orthopedic outpatients in Japan. Elderly outpatients (n = 102; aged 65 years) with orthopedic diseases were enrolled in the study. The respiratory function (e.g., percent vital capacity [VC] and percent forced expiratory volume in 1 second) was also measured.
The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 25.5% (30.0% and 24.4% in men and women, respectively). The study demonstrated that low respiratory function, which was represented by decreased percent VC, was associated with sarcopenia in outpatients visiting an orthopedic department. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with a lower percentage of VC in orthopedic outpatients after adjustment for sex, comorbidity, and smoking. Further studies are needed to determine the causality.

Free Research Field

応用人類学、サルコペニア、転倒

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動器疾患を有する高齢者においてサルコペニアは、性別、合併症、喫煙歴で調整後も呼吸機能と関連していた。サルコペニアを有する高齢者においては、骨格筋量だけでなく呼吸機能が低下している可能性を考慮する必要があることが分かった。
初診時や術前において規則的に測定される呼吸機能検査は、サルコペニアを予想する指標としても有用かもしれない。
本研究成果から、介護予防の観点からフレイル・サルコペニア予防が進められている中で、健診会場等での呼吸機能検査を一般化することで一歩進んだ介護予防が展開できる社会的意義を提供するものである。