Abstract
Background: Smoking results in cardiovascular changes that can lead to a gradual decrease in exercise capacity and, when associated with the physiological changes related to the aging process, can decrease the physical performance of the elderly.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between smoking, exercise capacity and physical activity in daily life (PADL) in physically independent elderly.
Methods: Two hundred and nine physically independent elderly with normal lung function were assessed. They were distributed into four groups: smokers (SG; n=12; 6 women, 66 [64-71] yrs, BMI 24 [21-28] kg/m2), ex-smokers (ESG; n=63; 31 women, 69 [64-74] yrs, BMI 27 [25-31] kg/m2), passive smokers (PSG; n=42, 36 women; 66 [63-70] yrs, BMI 28 [25-31] kg/m2) and nonsmokers (NSG; n=92; 69 women, 67 [64-71] yrs, BMI 28 [24-32] kg/m2). Subjects were submitted to assessment of exercise capacity (6 minute walking test (6MWT) and the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT)), PADL using a questionnaire (Baecke) and a step counter, as well as smoking habits.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference among groups regarding functional and maximal exercise capacity and PADL as seen in table 1.
Conclusion: Physically independent elderly with preserved lung function, smokers or not, seem to present similar pattern of exercise capacity and PADL.
- © 2011 ERS