title: Rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Exercise twice a week is not sufficient!
abstract: Several studies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have shown that pulmonary rehabilitation, consisting of at least three training sessions a week, improves exercise performance and health status. This study investigates feasibility, effect and economic aspects of a rehabilitation programme consisting of two sessions a week for 8 weeks. Twenty-four patients with moderate COPD were randomized to rehabilitation and 21 to placebo. Patients were assigned to an 8-week programme of exercise plus education (Exercise group) or conventional community care (Placebo group). The rehabilitation program was carried out in a hospital outpatient setting and consisted of 16 h exercise and 13.5 h of education. The exercise group received physiotherapy and education twice a week. Seven patients did not complete the programme. The characteristics of the 38 COPD-patients at baseline were the following: (mean +/- SD) forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) 1.1+/-0.4 1 (47% of predicted), 6-min walking distance (6MWD) 413+/-75 m, score of St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) 44+/-21. Health-status, assessed by SGRQ and The Psychological General Well-being (PGWB) Index, did not improve. Rehabilitation resulted in an insignificant improvement in the 6MWD [29 m (95% confidence interval: -8 -66 m)]. We conclude that a rehabilitation program consisting of exercise and education twice a week for 8 weeks had no effect on exercise performance and well being in patients with moderate COPD.
authors.affiliation: Medical department I, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg, Denmark. Ringbaek@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Ringbaek
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broendum
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hemmingsen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lybeck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology