Comparison of Clinical Parameters in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients and Healthy Individuals

Respiratory functions will be assessed using spirometry (Cosmed Microquark-PC Based Spirometer, Rome, Italy) according to the criteria of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS).

Respiratory muscle strength will be assessed with a portable, electronic oral pressure measuring device (Cosmed Pony Fx, Milan, Italy). Respiratory muscle strength will be determined by measuring maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP). Percentage of expected reference values according to gender and age will be used for the MIP value. The clinical significance for this patient group is 17.2 cmH2O for the measured MIP value.

In our study, muscle activity and thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA), rectus abdominis (RA), lumbar multifidus (LM) and quadriceps muscles will be evaluated to evaluate muscle function. Muscle activity will be evaluated using surface electromyography (EMG) (Neuro-MEP, Ivanovo, Russia) and muscle thickness will be evaluated using ultrasound (LOGIQ P9, GE Healthcare, USA).

The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) will be used to assess health status impairment in individuals with COPD. The CAT is an eight-item test consisting of questions that evaluate the severity of symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, and sputum production and the impact of the disease on daily life. It is recommended that the minimal clinical significance is a change of 2 points.

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) will be used for the balance assessment of individuals participating in the study. TUG is a frequently used, easily applicable, valid and reliable, performance-based functional mobility and balance test that evaluates dynamic balance in the clinic. It has been shown that dynamic balance impairment in COPD is associated with inadequate oxygenation and peripheral muscle weakness. Individuals who complete the test in 12 seconds or more have a risk of falling

Functional reach test will be used for the balance assessment of individuals participating in the study. Individuals who can reach 25 cm and more have a low risk of falling. Individuals who can reach between 15-25 cm have a 2 times higher risk of falling than normal. Individuals who can reach 15 cm and below have a 4 times higher risk of falling than normal. Individuals who cannot reach at all have an 8 times higher risk of falling than normal.

St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), a seventy-six-item health-related quality of life assessment questionnaire, will be used to assess the quality of life of the subjects.The result values are between 0 and 100 and the higher the value, the greater the degree to which the patient's quality of life is affected by the disease.

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale will be used to determine the anxiety and depression levels of individuals participating in the study. This scale is a self-report scale that includes anxiety and depression subscales and consists of 14 items, seven of which investigate depression and seven of which investigate anxiety levels.The cut-off point for the anxiety subscale of the HAD Turkish form was found to be 10 and the cut-off point for the depression subscale was found to be 7. Patients who score above these points can be considered as a risk group. Anxiety and depression score 07: normal, 8-11: borderline, >11: anxiety and depression.

6MWT will be used to evaluate the exercise capacities of individuals who will participate in the study. The individuals' walking distance and cardiac parameters during the test will be recorded.