KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the impact of IMT on respiratory and pulmonary function in esophageal cancer patients following esophagectomy.
- Researchers noted that IMT significantly improves respiratory function in patients with post-esophagectomy, suggesting broad clinical utility.
To identify the clinical effect of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) among patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted.
Jianhua Su and the team aimed to systematically review and synthesize data from multiple RCTs to evaluate the impact of IMT on respiratory and pulmonary functions in this patient population.
They performed an inclusive analysis of several databases to identify relevant RCTs up to August 23, 2023. The primary outcomes assessed were respiratory muscle function, including maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), as well as pulmonary function, such as forced expiratory volume in 1 second % (FEV1%), forced vital capacity % (FVC%), maximal ventilatory volume (MVV), FEV1/FVC%, and FVC.
Secondary outcomes included exercise performance, measured by the 6-minute walk distance test (6MWT) and Borg index; mental function and quality of life, evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) score; and postoperative complications. All statistical analyses were conducted using REVMAN 5.3 software.
About 8 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis, involving 368 patients receiving IMT and 371 control subjects. The pooled results demonstrated that IMT could significantly enhance respiratory muscle function (MIP: MD = 7.14 cmH2O, P = 0.006; MEP: MD = 8.15 cmH2O, P<0.001) and pulmonary function (FEV1%: MD = 6.15%, P<0.001; FVC%: MD = 4.65%, P<0.001; MVV: MD = 8.66 L, P<0.001; FEV1/FVC%: MD = 5.27%, P = 0.03; FVC: MD = 0.50 L, P<0.001).
Furthermore, IMT improved exercise performance (6MWT: MD = 66.99 m, P = 0.02; Borg index: MD = -1.09, P<0.001), mental function and quality of life (HADS anxiety score: MD = -2.26, P<0.001; HADS depression score: MD = -1.34, P<0.001; NHP total score: MD = -48.76, P<0.001). However, IMT did not significantly decrease the incidence of postoperative complications.
The study concluded that IMT significantly improves clinical outcomes, including respiratory muscle function and pulmonary function, in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy. These findings suggest that IMT has the potential for broad applications in clinical practice.
The study received no external funds.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39012869/
Su J, Huang W, Yu P, (2024). “Effect of inspiratory muscle training in esophageal cancer patients receiving esophagectomy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” PLoS One. 2024 Jul 16;19(7):e0307069. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307069. PMID: 39012869; PMCID: PMC11251638.
