1. Muscle strength is reduced in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Author
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Shari Pepplinkhuizen, Graziella Eshuis, Willemijn M. H. Zijlstra, Carola Y. Timmer, Mark Jan Ploegstra, Otto T. H. M. Lelieveld, Ann Marjolein Hepping, Ernesto A. C. Beenakker, and Rolf M. F. Berger
- Subjects
cardiopulmonary physiology and pathophysiology ,muscle ,pulmonary arterial hypertension ,Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system ,RC666-701 ,Diseases of the respiratory system ,RC705-779 - Abstract
Abstract Muscle strength is decreased in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We aim to investigate muscle strength in children with PAH in relation to a cohort of healthy children, and investigate correlations with disease severity markers. This prospective study included children with PAH aged 4−18 years, who visited the Dutch National Referral Center for Pulmonary Hypertension in Childhood between October 2015 and March 2016. Muscle strength was assessed using handgrip strength and maximum voluntary isometric contractility (MVIC) of four peripheral muscles. Dynamic muscle function was evaluated with the Bruininks−Oseretsky test of motor proficiency (BOT‐2). These measurements were compared with those in two cohorts of healthy children and correlated with 6‐minute walk distance (6MWD), World Health Organization functional class (WHO‐FC), N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), and time since diagnosis. Eighteen children with PAH aged 14.0 [interquartile range: 9.9−16.0] years showed reduced muscle strength. Handgrip strength z‐score −2.4 ± 1.2, p
- Published
- 2023
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