Lung function, respiratory muscle strength and endurance, and quality of life in the morbidly obese

Introduction. Obesity may decrease the strength of respiratory muscles as well as pulmonary function. Objective. To analyze the influence of respiratory muscles and pulmonary function on the quality of life of morbidly obese individuals. Methods. Twenty-eight morbidly obese individuals of age ≥ 18 and Body Mass Index ≥ 40kg/m² were assessed for maximal respiratory pressures, pulmonary function, and quality of life. Results. The maximal respiratory pressures were 96.30% and 100.21% of the expected levels. Regarding pulmonary function, there were changes in the results of peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC), which were below the expected levels (92.32% and 89.14%, respectively). Quality of life results showed an average score of 50 on the items related to mental health, while the average score on physical health items was 46. Conclusions. MRP and pulmonary function do not seem to affect the quality of life in morbidly obese individuals. http:// clinicaltrials.org - NCT01449643 - The Influence of Inspiratory Muscular Training (IMT) on Diaphragmatic Mobility in Morbidly Obese