Muscle thickness of the rectus femoris is lower in patients with copd than in healthy patients matched for sex, age and stature: an exploratory study

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MUSCLE THICKNESS OF THE RECTUS FEMORIS

IS LOWER IN PATIENTS WITH COPD THAN IN

HEALTHY PATIENTS MATCHED FOR SEX, AGE AND STATURE:

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

M. J. Sealy* 1, J. Plas 2, H. Hobbelen 1, H. Jager-Wittenaar 1,3, H. van der Vaart2

1Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied

Sciences Groningen, 2Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, University of

Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 3Department of Oral and Maxillofacial

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RATIONALE

• Currently, use of muscle thickness measured with ultrasound is suggested as an indicator for overall muscle mass

• Little is known about how muscle thickness measured in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compares to muscle thickness in healthy persons

• We explored body mass index (BMI) and rectus femoris (RF) muscle thickness in patients with advanced COPD matched with healthy

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METHODS

• Patients with advanced COPD at the start of a pulmonary

rehabilitation program were matched with healthy controls for:

Age (5 years difference tolerance) Sex (exact match)

Stature (0.1 m difference tolerance)

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METHODS

• Body height was measured with stadiometer

• Bodyweight was measured with scale

• Muscle thickness (mm)

of the RF was measured with a Bodymetrix ultrasound device

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METHODS

Statistical analysis

• Paired sample t-tests were performed

BMI and RF muscle thickness of the cases paired with average BMI and RF thickness of their controls

P-level of <0.05 considered significant 95% CI presented for mean difference

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RESULTS

• Age 64.5±6.4 years • Female 62% • Height 1.68±0.07m • BMI 26.9±6.1 kg/m2 • RF thickness 12.4±3.4mm Controls n=84 • Age 64.5±6.4 years • Female 62%; • Height 1.71±0.09 m • BMI 25.8±4.5 kg/m2 • RF thickness 14.6±4.5mm

*median GOLD score 3 [interquartile range 3-4]

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RESULTS

BMI not significantly different between cases and controls RF muscle thickness of cases significantly lower

P-value Mean difference 95% Confidence Interval

BMI (kg/m2 ₎ _0.526 _0.95 _{-2.12 – 4.01}

RF thickness (mm) 0.003* -2.33 -3.73- -0.92

Table 1: results of the paired sample t-tests for difference in BMI and RF thickness in patients with COPD and healthy controls

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CONCLUSION

• RF muscle thickness in patients with COPD undergoing rehabilitation program is significantly lower than in matched healthy controls

• Larger samples are needed to confirm whether RF muscle thickness measured with US is more useful than BMI in patients with COPD

(9)