OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to determine reference values for sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) and to propose reference equations for the population of Brazil. METHODS: We evaluated 243 healthy individuals (111 males and 132 females), between 20 and 80 years of age, with an FVC and FEV1/FVC ratio > 80% and > 85% of the predicted value, respectively. All of the subjects underwent respiratory muscle strength tests to determine MIP, MEP, and SNIP. RESULTS: We found that SNIP values were higher in males than in females (p < 0.05) and that SNIP correlated negatively with age, for males (r = -0.29; p < 0.001) and for females (r = -0.33; p < 0.0001). Linear regression also revealed that age influenced the predicted SNIP, for males (R² = 0.09) and females (R² = 0.10). We obtained predicted SNIP values that were higher than those obtained for other populations. CONCLUSIONS: We have devised predictive equations for SNIP to be used in adults (20-80 years of age) in Brazil. These equations could help minimize diagnostic discrepancies among individuals.
Respiratory Muscles; Respiratory Function Tests; Reference Values; Linear Models
