At identical isowork rates, ageing influences cardiorespiratory adaptations in COPD out-patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the extent to which younger COPD patients improve their cardiorespiratory function during exercise in comparison with older COPD patients, as a result of exercise training.


METHODS
Thirty-nine COPD patients underwent an exercise program. They were divided into two groups: a younger group (57.2+/-1.0 years, n=18 patients) and an older group (68.8+/-0.6 years, n=21 patients). Forced expiratory volume in 1s was lower than 55% of the predicted value for all patients.


RESULTS
After training, VO2 symptom-limited significantly improved by 10.3% and 8.4% for the younger and older COPD patients, respectively (P<0.05). Peak power significantly improved by 25.2% and 17.8% in the younger and older groups, respectively (P<0.05) with a greater improvement for the younger group (P<0.05). At submaximal exercise, ventilation and heart rate significantly decreased after training in the younger COPD patients (P<0.05) with no significant modification in the older COPD patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that all patients with COPD benefit from exercise rehabilitation at maximal exercise workload, however, according to their age, submaximal cardiorespiratory adaptations were greater in younger patients.
Fabre
C
C
Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, Laboratoire d'Etudes de la Motricité Humaine (LEMH), EA:3608, Université de Lille 2, 9 rue de l'Université, 59790 Ronchin, France. claudine.fabre@univ-lille2.fr
Grosbois
J M
JM
Bart
F
F
Borel
B
B
Mucci
P
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome