Identifying dynapenia using ventilatory parameters in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: cross-sectional analysis of the FUNNEL+ study

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate: (a) the discriminatory capacity of ventilatory parameters to differentiate between patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with or without dynapenia, (b) the relationship between maximal grip strength (MGS) and ventilatory parameters, and (c) the differences between groups of HFpEF patients with and without dynapenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study using MGS and ventilatory parameters from volunteers in the FUNNEL + study was conducted. Patients with HFpEF were categorised using the MGS into two groups: dynapenia and no dynapenia. Data analysis included the Chi-square test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, the ROC curve analysis, and the area under the ROC curve. RESULTS 77 measurements of HFpEF patients were grouped based on the presence (n = 29) or no (n = 48) of dynapenia. The discriminatory capacity of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) was acceptable for identifying dynapenia. Significant correlations were found between ventilatory parameters and MGS. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in grouped patients in terms of demographic, clinical and ventilatory variables. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results suggest that ventilatory parameters may have potential for the early detection of dynapenia in HFpEF, although further studies are required to confirm these findings.