Relationship of BODE Index to functional tests in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if there is a correlation between the BODE Index and variables assessed during the Activities of Daily Living assessment, performance on lower limber tests, and peripheral muscle impairment of the upper limb in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


METHODS
Ten men (aged 58 to 80 years old) with moderate to very severe obstruction were evaluated and classified by the BODE Index. They were evaluated by pulmonary ventilation (VE), oxygen consumption (VO2), and carbonic gas production (VCO2) on the ADL assessment; Distance Walking (DW) in the Six Minute Walking Test (6MWT) and the Six Minute Walking Test on Treadmill (6MWTT); number of repetitions in the Sit-to-Stand Test; and the Hand Grip Strength Test. Correlations were evaluated between the classification and the tests performed (Pearson and Spearman test, p<0.05).


RESULTS
The mean of the total score for the BODE Index was 2.80 (+/-1.03), with three patients scoring in the first quartile (Q1) and seven scoring in the second quartile (Q2). This Index showed a negative correlation with the 6MWTT (r=-0.86), the Sit-to-Stand Test (r=-0.66), and the Hand Grip Strength Test (r=-0.83).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that there is no correlation between the BODE Index and the ventilatory and metabolic responses in the Activities of Daily Living assessment. On the other hand, a correlation was observed between the BODE Index and the variables assessed in the 6MWTT, Sit-to-Stand Test, and Hand Grip Strength Test in moderate to very severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients. This suggests that these tests can be employed as predictors of physical exercise capacity, perhaps as complementary tests to the BODE Index.
Federal University of São Carlos, UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. eloregueiro@yahoo.com.br
Eloisa Maria Gatti
EM
Regueiro
Valéria Amorim Pires
VA
Di Lorenzo
Renata Pedrolongo
RP
Basso
Bruna Varanda
BV
Pessoa
Mauricio
M
Jamami
Dirceu
D
Costa
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D011187:Posture; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology