You are here

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Volume 81, Issue 6
  • Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in chronic heart failure: comparison between ischaemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Paper
Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in chronic heart failure: comparison between ischaemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
  1. M Daganou,
  2. I Dimopoulou,
  3. P A Alivizatos,
  4. G E Tzelepis
  1. Pulmonary and Critical Care Section and Clinic for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Onassis Cardiac Centre, 356 Sygrou Avenue, Athens 17674, Greece
  1. Dr Tzelepis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To compare pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in patients with ischaemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, well matched for indices of heart failure.

METHODS The study involved 30 patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy and 30 with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The groups were well matched for age, weight, and clinical severity of cardiac dysfunction as assessed by ejection fraction and the New York Heart Association functional class. There were more smokers in the ischaemic group (p < 0.05), but indices of pulmonary function were comparable.

RESULTS Mean (SD) maximum static inspiratory pressure was lower in dilated cardiomyopathy than in ischaemic cardiomyopathy (73 (20) v84 (22) cm H2O, p < 0.05), as was the maximum static expiratory pressure (90 (20) v 104 (21) cm H2O, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS For a given degree of cardiac dysfunction, the respiratory muscles are weaker in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy than in those with ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

  • respiratory muscles
  • congestive heart failure
  • pulmonary function
  • cardiomyopathy

https://doi.org/10.1136/hrt.81.6.618

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text