Correlation between respiratory muscle strength, respiratory function and exercise endurance in patients with chronic pulmonary emphysema

24名の慢性閉塞性肺疾患（COPD）患者において呼吸筋力，肺機能，運動耐容能の関係を調べた．呼気積分値（PEinteg）と吸気積分値（PIinteg）は，１秒量（相関係数0.54，0.61），％１秒量（0.51，0.63），最大分時換気量（0.53，0.58）と相関した．PEintegとPIintegは６分間歩行距離（0.51，0.46）との間に相関がみられ，PEintegは最高酸素摂取量との間に相関（0.63）がみられた．しかし最大呼気圧と最大吸気圧は肺機能，運動耐容能との間に相関はなかった．呼吸筋圧の積分値はCOPD患者の重症度や運動耐容能の指標となり，呼気筋および，吸気筋トレーニングはCOPD患者の運動時の呼吸困難を軽減し，患者のADLを改善する可能性が示唆された．Relation of respiratory muscle strength to respiratory function and exercise endurance in 24 patients with chronic pulmonary emphysema were examined. The integral expiratory pressure (PEinteg) and inspiratory pressure (PIinteg) was significantly correlated with the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1.0) (coefficient of correlation 0.54, 0.61), FEV1.0% (0.42, 0.63), %FEV1.0 (0.51, 0.63) the maximum voluntary volume (0.53, 0.58) and 6 minutes walking distance (6 MD). PEinteg was correlated with the peak oxygen uptake (0.63). However the maximum expiratory pressure and maximum inspiratory pressure did not demonstrate any relation to pulmonary function test and exercise endurance. Integral pressure of respiratory muscle strength can be an indicator of severity of pulmonary function and exercise endurance of COPD patients. Training of both expiratory and inspiratory respiratory muscle could improve activity of daily living by decreasing dyspnea on exercise in these patients