Interstitial lung abnormalities and physical function

What is it about?

Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are radiological changes in pulmonary structure believed to be a precursor to interstitial lung disease. In this study, we explored the association of ILA to markers of physical function, often used in the elderly population. We found that decreased performance in a number of these markers, namely grip strength, knee extension strength, gait speed and thigh muscle mass was associated to increased risk of ILA. We also found that these associations existed only with certain subtypes of ILA. These findings suggest that ILA have a greater association with physical function than previously thought and we argue that the reasons for such associations have implications for further research.

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