Avaliação da associação entre a força do assoalho pélvico e o nível de atividade física em homens com mais de 45 anos

Abstract

Aims: Indirectly evaluate the pelvic floor strength through anorectal manometry and evaluate the association between pelvic floor strength and physical activity, body mass index (BMI) and rectal pressure in healthy men over the age of 45. Methods: thirty-one male volunteers with a mean age of 51.8 ± 4.9 years were subject to anorectal manometry and evaluation of BMI and level of physical activity through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. In the manometry a probe with balloon and a single pressure channel was used to measure rectal pressure and external anal sphincter pressure at rest and maximum contraction. Results: Manometry, showed a normal distribution of values of rectal pressure with a mean of 44.4 ± 13.8 cm/H2O and the values of maximum contraction pressure with a mean of 164.9 ± 32.4 cm/H2O . Patients with high levels of physical activity had a lower maximum contraction pressure (155.4 ± 26.6) compared with patients with low physical activity (193 ± 40.2) (p = 0039). There was a positive association between rectal pressure and pressure at rest (p = 0018) and tendency toward positive association between rectal pressure and BMI (p = 0.08), the pressure at rest and BMI (p = 0093) and rectal pressure and maximum contraction (p = 0098). Conclusions: The higher the level of physical activity the lower the strength of maximum contraction of the pelvic floor. This seems to be a compensatory increase with increasing rectal pressure, which tends to be higher in patients with higher BMI.