Exercise training improves outcomes of a dyspnea self-management program.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine whether exercise training adds to the benefit of a dyspnea self-management (DM) program; and (2) to determine if there is a "dose response" to supervised exercise training (0, 4, or 24 sessions) in dyspnea, exercise performance, and health-related quality of life.


METHODS
Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 103, 46 men, 57 women; age 66 +/- 8 years; forced expiratory volume in 1 second 44.8 +/- 14% predicted) were randomized to DM, DM-exposure, or DM-training. Dyspnea self-management included individualized education about dyspnea management strategies, a home-walking prescription, and daily logs. Outcomes were measured at baseline and 2 months as part of a 1-year longitudinal randomized clinical trial. Outcomes included dyspnea during laboratory exercise and with activities of daily living (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire [CRQ]), Shortness of Breath Questionnaire, Baseline/Transitional Dyspnea Index), exercise performance (incremental treadmill tests (ITTs) and endurance treadmill tests (ETTs), 6-minute walk (6MW), and health-related quality of life (SF-36).


RESULTS
The DM-training group had significantly greater improvements than the DM-exposure and the DM groups in dyspnea at isotime during ITT (P =.006); exercise performance during ITT (P =.005), ETT (P =.003), and 6MW (P =.01); SF-36 Vitality (P =.031); and CRQ mastery (P =.007). There was a dose-dependent improvement in CRQ dyspnea scores (P <.05) with significant improvements only in the DM-training and DM-exposure groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Exercise training substantially improved the impact of a dyspnea self-management program with a home walking prescription (DM). This impact tended to be dependent on the "dose" of exercise.
Stulbarg
Michael S
MS
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0111, USA. michae@itsa.ucsf.edu
Carrieri-Kohlman
Virginia
V
Demir-Deviren
Sibel
S
Nguyen
Huong Q
HQ
Adams
Lewis
L
Tsang
Amy H
AH
Duda
John
J
Gold
Warren M
WM
Paul
Steven
S
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016138:Walking