Hand Grip Strength as a Predictor of Pulmonary Function in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

• Taher S.E. Taha, Fellow of physical therapy at National Heart Institute, Physical Therapy Department, Giza, Egypt. Consultant of physical therapy Department of Pediatric Physical Therapy, Faculty of Physical Therapy, May University at Cairo, Egypt.Follow
• Abeer El Sayed Hamed, Department of Pediatrics &Neonatology National Heart Institutes, Giza, Egypt
• Mohamed Ahmed Omar, Department of Cardiology, National Heart Institute, Giza, Egypt
• Shymaa Mahmoud Maaty, Physical Therapy Department at National Heart Institute, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Background Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently present with reduced pulmonary function due to cardiopulmonary impairments and decreased physical activity levels. Peripheral muscle weakness is common and may reflect overall respiratory performance. Aim To examine the correlation between hand grip strength (HGS) and pulmonary function parameters in pediatric CHD patients. Settings and Design In this cross-sectional study, 50 children aged 6–14 years with confirmed CHD were recruited from the National Heart Institute, Egypt. Methods and Material Pulmonary function tests were conducted using a calibrated spirometer, measuring FVC, FEV1, PEF, FEV1/FVC ratio, and MMV. HGS was assessed using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine relationships between HGS and spirometry outcomes. Results Statistically significant positive correlations were found between HGS and pulmonary function parameters: FEV1 (r = 0.89), FVC (r = 0.88), PEF (r = 0.83), and MMV (r = 0.62), all with p < 0.001. The FEV1/FVC ratio showed a weaker but significant correlation (r = 0.32, p = 0.023). Conclusion HGS is strongly associated with pulmonary function in children with CHD and may serve as a non-invasive proxy for respiratory assessment.

Article Type

Original Study

Subject Area

Physical Therapy

IRB Number

HB001111

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Taha, Taher S.E.; Hamed, Abeer El Sayed; Omar, Mohamed Ahmed; and Maaty, Shymaa Mahmoud (2025) "Hand Grip Strength as a Predictor of Pulmonary Function in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study," Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research: Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59299/2537-0928.1492