Abstract
Background: Some studies have demonstrated that prematurely born adults have poorer exercise tolerance than those born at term, but other studies have shown that those born prematurely may not complain of breathlessness or wheeze despite having relatively poor lung function.
Aims: To determine if lung function abnormalities were associated with reduced exercise capacity in young people born prematurely.
Methods: Lung function and exercise capacity were measured in 69 young people with a median gestational age of 27 (range 24-29) weeks and birth weight of 890 (454 – 1459) gms. The median age at assessment was 17 (16-18) years. Spirometry was used to assess forced expiratory flow at 75%, 50% and between 25 and 75% of the expired vital capacity (FEF25, FEF50, FEF75), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Lung volumes were assessed by forced vital capacity (FVC), residual volume (RV) and functional residual capacity by plethysmography (FRCpleth). Lung clearance index was assessed using a sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) technique. An incremental modified shuttle walk test was used to assess exercise capacity and participants were asked how much time per week they exercised.
Results: Self-reported exercise and measured exercise capacity were poorly, although significantly, correlated (p=0.024). Exercise capacity correlated significantly with the lung clearance index results (p=0.017) but not the results of any other lung function tests.
Conclusions: Reduced exercise capacity was associated with increased ventilation inhomogeneity. Our data suggest that self-reported exercise may be a poor indicator of exercise capacity.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2018 52: Suppl. 62, OA305.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2018