The following is a summary of “Physical Activity and Lung Function Association in a Healthy community-dwelling European Population,” published in the April 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Collaud et al.
The relationship between physical activity (PA) and lung function (LF) has garnered varied findings, ranging from no discernible impact to a potential delay in LF decline. Here, the researchers investigated the connection between accelerometry-assessed PA and LF in a cohort of ostensibly healthy individuals residing in the community. The study comprised two cross-sectional investigations utilizing data from the PneumoLaus study, conducted between 2014–2017 and 2018–2021 in Lausanne, Switzerland. PA levels were quantified through accelerometry and categorized into inactivity, light, moderate, or vigorous.
Meanwhile, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) were gauged via spirometry and expressed as a percentage of predicted value (PV). The analysis encompassed 1,910 participants (54.7% women; mean age 62.0 ± 9.7 years) in the first survey and 1,174 participants (53.4% women; mean age 65.8 ± 9.5 years) in the second. Across both surveys, moderate and vigorous PA exhibited a modest yet statistically significant correlation with FEV1 (R = 0.106 and 0.132 for the first survey; 0.111 and 0.125 for the second; p < 0.001). Similar correlations were observed for FVC (p < 0.001), and these associations persisted even after adjusting for various covariates, including smoking status.
Conversely, weaker associations were noted between LF and light PA and between MMEF and PA. While the findings underscore a statistical link between moderate to vigorous PA and improved LF among healthy European adults, the clinical significance is limited by the modest correlation coefficients (R < 0.30), indicating a weak association.
Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-024-02979-x