title: Seven-year time course of lung function, symptoms, health-related quality of life, and exercise tolerance in COPD patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term course of outcome indexes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing repeated pulmonary rehabilitation programs (PRP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight COPD patients (M 33, age 59.6+/-8.9 years, forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV(1)) 58+/-16% predicted, DLCO 71+/-17% predicted.) undergoing 5 Day-Hospital based PRPs in a period of 7.2+/-0.8 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung function, exercise capacity (incremental cycloergometry, test-6-minute walking test (6MWD)), dyspnoea (Baseline-BDI and Transitional-TDI Dyspnoea Index and Medical Research Council score-MRC), health-related quality of life (HRQL) (St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the derived BODE index were assessed pre and post each PRP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During follow-up, patients showed a 18+/-22 (mean+/-SEM)ml/year FEV(1) decline (95%CI: -24.4 to 11.6; p<0.001). Exercise tolerance and BDI remained stable over time whereas SGRQ improved (DeltaSGRQ total score: -9.6+/-14%, p<0.001). BODE index significantly worsened (from 1.27+/-1.14 to 1.98+/-1.64; p<0.001), being this change mainly attributable to worsening in FEV(1). Each PRP elicited significant improvement in exercise capacity, dyspnoea, SGRQ and BODE score. Post-PRP improvements in 6MWD, MRC and TDI were higher after the first three than after the last two PRPs (p<0.001), whereas the greatest gain in SGRQ was observed after PRP1 and then it was lower (p<0.03) but stable in the following periods of observation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite progressive lost in effectiveness of repeated PRP, COPD patients undergoing those programs do not show any significant worsening in exercise tolerance, dyspnoea and HRQL along a period of 7 years.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Lung Function Unit, Scientific Institute of Gussago, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foglio
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Gisella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruletti
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitacca
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balbi
authors.forename: Nicolino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ambrosino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen