title: Longitudinal trends in exercise capacity and health status after pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD.
abstract: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes produce initial improvements in exercise tolerance and health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there is limited data on the longer term effects of PR. This study has examined whether the initial benefits gained in exercise tolerance and health status may be maintained after a 1-year follow-up programme. Sixty-six patients with COPD were assessed with the MRC Dyspnoea Scale and found to be moderately disabled due to dyspnoea (MRC Grades 3 and 4). These patients were then randomised to an 8 week outpatient programme of either exercise training and education (Exercise group) or to education alone (Control group). Exercise performance was assessed with the shuttle walking test and health status assessed with two disease-specific measures, the St Georges Respiratory Questionnaire and the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire. After PR, all patients were invited to attend monthly follow-up sessions for 1 year. Fifty-six patients were available for follow-up immediately after the programme and were assessed at 6 months and 1 year. This study has shown that the patients in the Exercise group maintained improvements in exercise capacity and health status up to 6 months after an 8 week programme. At 1 year there was a significant difference between the Exercise and Control groups in terms of exercise tolerance due to a considerable decline experienced by the Control group. However, neither group had maintained improvements in health status at 1 year. Further study is required to assess whether benefit may be sustained for a longer period using alternative follow-up strategies.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Respiratory Medicine, St Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London Chest Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bestall
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garrod
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garnham
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wedzicha
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome