OBJECTIVE: To compare actual values for maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) found in a sample of healthy individuals from the State of Minas Gerais (Brazil) with the values predicted from the equations put forward by Neder et al.³. METHOD: Using an analog manovacuometer, 100 healthy subjects (54 women and 46 men aged 20-80 years old) were studied. Statistical analysis was performed using parametric or non-parametric tests, depending on the distribution of the variables, and p< 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: For MIP in women, the mean of the actual values was significantly lower than the mean of the predicted values (68.24 ± 29.48 vs. 86.53 ± 8.76; p= 0.000) and there was a moderate and significant correlation (r= 0.557; p< 0.000). For MIP in men, no significant difference was observed between the actual and predicted values (104.67 ± 42.66 vs. 116.78 ± 14.02; p= 0.055) and there was a low and non-significant correlation (r= 0.236; p= 0.115). For MEP in women, there was no significant difference between the actual and predicted values (80.37 ± 33.32 vs. 85.88 ± 10.90; p= 0.164) and there was a low and non-significant correlation (r= 0.149; p= 0.283). For MEP in men, the mean of the actual values was significantly higher than the mean of the predicted values (142.28 ± 43.89 vs. 126.30 ± 14.19; p= 0.017) and there was a low and non-significant correlation (r= 0.159; p= 0.290). CONCLUSION: Considering that concordance between actual and predicted values requires the lack of difference and the existence of correlation between them, the equations proposed by Neder et al.³ were not successful in predicting MIP and MEP values in the population studied.
maximal respiratory pressures; respiratory muscles; predictive equations; lung
