Association of physical inactivity and handgrip strength with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND Little is known about the level of physical activity (PA) among patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), the relationship between PA levels and NTM-PD, and the relationship between handgrip strength and NTM-PD. METHODS We conducted a case-control study comparing the PA levels and handgrip strength of patients with NTM-PD and controls. Patients with NTM-PD were prospectively enrolled at Severance Hospital, Seoul, whereas controls were selected at a 1:2 propensity score matching from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2014 and 2019. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate these relationships. RESULTS The total PA level in the NTM-PD group was lower than that in the control group (120.0 vs. 560.0 MET-min/week, P < 0.001). Physical inactivity was significantly associated with both NTM-PD (aOR 2.87, 95% CI 1.73-4.75) and severity of NTM-PD (aOR 3.82, 95% CI 1.61-9.05; cavity ≥1). Low handgrip strength was found to be associated with NTM-PD (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.14-4.02), but no significant association was observed with the severity of NTM-PD. CONCLUSIONS Physical inactivity was associated with both NTM-PD and NTM-PD severity, whereas low handgrip strength was associated with NTM-PD.