Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Physical Therapy for Cardiopulmonary and Geriatrics Disorder

Background: One of the most important changes occurring in aging is the loss of muscle mass, where muscle mass decreases about 3% to 6% per decade. Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder involving the accelerated loss of muscle mass and function.The prevalence of sarcopenia between the ages of 60-70 years is between 5% to 13% and increases to between 11% to 50% at the age of 80. Purpose: to study the effect of a 12-week pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program on muscle quality index (MQI) in the elderly with sarcopenia.Methods: 65 primary sarcopenic elderly subjects participated in the present study with age (60-75 years) chosen from Dar Elshrouk nursing home. Muscle quality index were measured before and after the pulmonary rehabilitation program. Pulmonary rehabilitation program included breathing exercises (diaphragmatic breathing, costal breathing, pursed-lip breathing & exercise connected with respiration), in addition to aerobic exercise including walking exercise (moderate intensity walking, walking heel to toe, sideways walking) and strengthening exercise of upper limb and lower limb, 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks. Results: there was 34.32% increase in MQI for all the subjects and 25.74% decrease in Five times sit to stand for all subjects

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