A recent study published in BMC Pulmonary Medicine found that patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) who follow a specialized exercise regimen after hospitalization have improved pulmonary outcomes.
The study evaluated the combined use of aerobic exercise and inspiratory muscle training (IMT), which consists of specific exercises aimed at strengthening the respiratory muscles, in a cohort of 54 patients with MG.
IMT and aerobic exercise are known to support respiratory endurance and reduce fatigue, although the effects of this program were previously unknown in MG.
In the study, 26 patients were randomized to follow a program of IMT and aerobic exercise, and 28 participants were randomized to a control group. All participants were assigned a treatment group at the time of discharge from the hospital. After six weeks, the authors reevaluated pulmonary function.
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Findings revealed that both the control and treatment groups experienced significant enhancements in several respiratory parameters including 6-minute walk distance and level of breathing difficulty. Both groups also showed improved maximum inspiratory pressure, a measure of the maximum pressure that an individual can generate when inhaling.
Notably, the changes in each of these parameters were significantly greater in the patients following the exercise regimen than in the patients in the control group.
Only the group receiving IMT and aerobic exercise exhibited improvements in maximum expiratory pressure, which measures the maximum pressure that an individual can exert when exhaling.
While patients in the treatment group experienced an increase in forced vital capacity (FVC), a commonly utilized pulmonary function test, after six weeks, participants in the control group showed decreases in FVC, on average. Higher FVC is associated with greater lung capacity and strength.
“Implementing IMT as an early intervention following hospital discharge may benefit patients with MG, reinforcing the need for continued research on objective monitoring and long-term efficacy,” the study authors concluded.
