@article {OzcanPA2804, author = {Buse Ozcan and Serap Acar and Ismail Ozsoy and Sema Savci and Ebru Ozpelit and Can Sevinc and Bahri Akdeniz}, title = {Investigation of balance deficits in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: Preliminary study}, volume = {46}, number = {suppl 59}, elocation-id = {PA2804}, year = {2015}, doi = {10.1183/13993003.congress-2015.PA2804}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Introduction: Peripheral muscle weakness may be affected by activity level and this may cause balance deficits. Although it has been shown that peripheral muscles are affected in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), there is no study on the evaluation of balance deficits in patients with PAH.Aims: To compare the postural control between patients with PAH and healthy controls.Methods: Seventeen patients with PAH (New York Heart Association class II-III, 12 female) and 12 healthy subjects (7 female) were included in the study. Postural control was assessed with the Balance Master System. Physical activity level, exercise capacity and knee extensor muscle strength were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, 6 Minute Walk Test and hand-held dynamometer, respectively.Results: There was no significant difference at median age between the two groups (p\>0.05). Reaction time, directional control, end point excursion, and maximum excursion parameters which are the subgroups of Limits of Stability Test were significantly difference between the two groups (p\<0.05). The median value of knee extensor muscle strength of dominant limb were 23.75 lb for patients with PAH and, 40 lb for the control group and it was significantly different in the two groups (p\<0.05). There were significantly difference at exercise capacity and physical activity levels (p\<0.05).Conclusions: Patients with PAH had postural control deficits that may cause balance impairments. The muscle strength, functional capacity and physical activity levels were also impaired in patients with PAH compared with the healthy controls.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA2804}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }