Reduced aerobic capacity in patients with severe osteoporosis: a cross sectional study

It has been previously shown that pulmonary function (PF) is significantly diminished in patients with osteoporosis (OP). But there are few data about the relationship between PF and aerobic capacity of osteoporotic patients and the severity of thoracic kyphosis and time since the diagnosis of OP. The aim of the present study was to investigate the resting spirometric values and cardiopulmonary test (CPET) results of women with osteoporosis and to evaluate the effects of the various degrees of OP on these parameters.

Fifty six outpatient subjects were included in the study. All patients underwent a standardized interview, physical examination, bone mineral density (BMD), anteroposterior and lateral x-rays of thoracic spine, resting PF test and CPET evaluation. To evaluate the effects of the severity of osteoporosis on these parameters patient group divided according to diagnosis time of OP, degree of kyphosis, and spinal deformity index. Demographic and clinical data were compared between the groups with the use of independent-sample t test analysis (two groups) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to estimate the between-group differences and changes by severity of osteoporosis and regression analyses to find predictors for changes. Correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationship between variables.

According to diagnosis time, newly diagnosed groups; according to degree of kyphosis, the kyphotic groups; according to spinal deformity index, the higher spinal deformity index groups showed statistically significant and declining results in PF tests and CPET parameters.

This study pointed out a significant impaired PF, aerobic capacity and a serious deconditioning for various reasons in these OP patients Therefore, the evaluation of CPET should be included in the management of OP patients and in these patients ventilatory muscle training and aerobic exercises may offer a potential therapeutic adjunct to current OP therapies in the future.