Respiratory Tract Diseases with Musculoskeletal System Interaction: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objective: Respiratory diseases and musculoskeletal disorders are significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially among older adults and immunocompromised individuals. Although current guidelines encourage a multidimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment, the interaction between these disease categories has not been adequately investigated. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of current research on diseases related to both respiratory and musculoskeletal disorders and identify gaps for future studies. Methods: Using the PRISMA extension to scope the reviews, we focused on randomized controlled trials and cohort studies published in the last five years. A total of 2003 abstracts were identified in databases such as Scopus, WoS, PubMed, Medline, Cinahl, OpenAIRE and EBSCO. After removing 287 duplicates, 1716 articles were screened based on title and abstract. A total of 470 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, resulting in 11 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Results: The review shows limited but influential studies investigating the intersection between respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases. The findings suggest that musculoskeletal disorders may negatively affect respiratory functions and vice versa. Several studies have demonstrated potential biomarkers, the importance of sleep quality, and associations with multimorbidity. Conclusion: Although limited to 11 articles, this review highlights the importance of a more detailed understanding of the interactions between the musculoskeletal system and respiratory diseases. This may inform future diagnostic and treatment strategies. However, the limited number of studies in this area indicates that more research is needed, especially which contains interaction mechanism of musculoskeletal and pulmonary pathologies.