ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of Pranayam breathing on respiratory muscle strength measured as maximum expiratory and inspiratory pressures (MEP and MIP) and relevant spirometry parameters in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in control subjects, and on the sympatho-vagal balance in both the groups. METHODS: The research was performed in the Clinical Physiology Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman. Eleven patients (mean age 43.91 ± 20.56 yr; mean BMI 21.9 ± 5.5 kg/m(2)) and 6 controls (43.5 ± 14.6yr; 25.4 ± 3.2 kg/m(2)) learnt and practised Pranayam. Their respiratory and cardiovascular parameters were recorded. Their respiratory "well being" was noted as a visual analogue score (VAS). The respiratory parameters were expressed as a percentage change of predicted values. RESULTS: Patients' respiratory parameters were significantly lower than those of controls. Patients' maximum respiratory pressures did not improve after Pranayam; however, they showed significant improvement in VAS 5.4 ± 2.4 to 7.2 ± 1.2 (P < 0.03). Controls showed significant increase in MIP after Pranayam exercises. There were no changes in other spirometry indices. Controls showed significant increase in their systolic blood pressure and stroke index after exercise. The vago-sympathetic balance shifted towards sympathetic in both patients and controls after exercise. CONCLUSION: The improvement in MIP in controls indicated the positive effect of Pranayam exercise; however, it may not be an adequately stressful exercise to produce changes in the respiratory parameters of COPD patients. The increase in VAS in patients suggested improvement in respiratory distress and quality of life.
ABSTRACT
International guidelines recommend the use of population-specific reference values to eliminate the well-recognized influence of ethnic variation on lung function. This study was designed to derive spirometric prediction equations for healthy Omani adults. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% of FVC (FEF(25-75%)) were measured in 419 "healthy" nonsmoking Omani adults (256 men, 163 women), aged 18-65 years. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed for each spirometric parameter against age, height, and weight for men and women separately, and prediction equations for all the above parameters were derived and compared with values derived using equations published from other populations. All measured spirometric parameters increased with height and decreased with age, and they were all significantly higher in men. In contrast, FEV(1)/FVC% values decreased with height and increased with age and were higher in women. The predicted normal values of FVC and FEV(1) for our subjects using the derived equations were lower by 7-17% compared with respective Caucasian values, with smaller difference in the predicted values of PEFR, FEV(1)/FVC%, and FEF(25-75%). This report presents previously unavailable spirometric reference equations for the Omani adults. Our findings highlight the need to use reference values based on updated data derived from relevant populations.
