Funções pulmonar e muscular respiratória na cardiomiopatia chagásica crônica e sua relação com a capacidade funcional.

Abstract

Weakness of respiratory muscles in heart failure is related to exercise tolerance. There are no evidence that the same weakness occurs in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) and that the respiratory muscle strength and the functional limitation are similar in patient with heart failure of different etiologies. Objective: To evaluate whether the functional limitation and the respiratory system alterations of CCC patients are similar to the ones of heart failure patients of different etiology (HF). Material and methods: This is a cross-section study that included 15 patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, 15 heart failure of different etiologies, and 15 healthy subjects. The pulmonary function was evaluated by spirometry (VITALOGRAPH® 2120), the respiratory muscle strength was evaluated by manovacuometry (GERAR® Classe B), the muscle respiratory endurance by THRESHOLD® IMT and the functional capacity by ergometric test and Human Activity Profile Questionnaire. Results: There were found smaller values of the respiratory muscle function (p<0.05) and also of the function capacity (p<0.05) in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy patients compared to the healthy ones. However, there were no significative differences between the CCC and HF groups on the variables studied. Functional capacity was correlated (p<0.01) with inspiratory muscle strength (r=0.47) and expiratory muscle strength (r=0.62) Conclusion: Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy patients were similar to heart failure of different etiologies patients in relation to pulmonary function, respiratory muscle function and functional capacity. In these patients the functional capacity was associated to respiratory muscle function.