Key result
Pulmonary rehabilitation improves COPD walk distance and quality of life but walk gains lack functional correlation.
Why the study?
The relationship between improvements in functional capacity and perceived quality of life following pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD patients was unclear.
Does pulmonary rehabilitation improve 6-minute walk distance and perceived quality of life in individuals with COPD, and are these improvements correlated?
Observational (n=139)
Does pulmonary rehabilitation improve 6-minute walk distance and perceived quality of life in individuals with COPD, and are these improvements correlated?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
While pulmonary rehabilitation improves both functional capacity and perceived quality of life in COPD patients, the magnitude of functional improvement does not correlate with the degree of quality of life improvement.
UNLABELLED: Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been shown to benefit from participation in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs that include exercise training and education. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between improvements in 6 minute walk distance and perceived quality of life in individuals with COPD following completion of a PR program. METHODS: The records of 139 individuals completing a PR program (3 times a week for 8 weeks) were retrospectively examined. Prior to entry and upon completion of the program each individual completed a 6 minute walk test (6MWT), the SF-36 Health survey, and the UCSD Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (SOB). SF-36 results were analyzed according to 8 subscales [Physical Functioning (PF), Role Physical (RF), Bodily Pain (BP), General Health (GH), Vitality (V), Social Functioning (SF), Role Emotional (RE), and Mental Health (MH)]. RESULTS: PR resulted in significant improvements in 6MWTdistance (Pre = 845 +/- 37 ft, Post = 1127 +/- 32 ft, p < 0.001), PF (p < 0.001), RF (p = 0.001), Vitality (p = 0.002), SF (p < 0.001), RE (p = 0.037), MH (p < 0.001) and SOB (Pre = 53 +/- 2, Post = 47 +/- 2, p < 0.001). The change in 6MWT distance was not related to changes in PF (r = 0.17), RF (r = 0.03), GH (r = 0.03), Vitality (r = -0.001), SF (r = 0.01), RE (r = 0.06), MH (r = -0.04) or SOB (r = 0.12). The magnitude of improvement in 6MWT distance (68%) was much greater than that observed in PF (15%), RF (16%), GH (6%), VT (18%), SF (20%), RE (14%), MH (14%), or SOB (8%). CONCLUSIONS: PR has a positive impact on 6 minute walk distance and perceived quality of life in individuals with COPD; however, changes in 6 minute walk distance appear to have no relationship to changes in perceived quality of life.
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Bailey et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n=139). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program was evaluated on Correlation between change in 6-minute walk distance and change in Physical Functioning (PF) (r = 0.17). Pulmonary rehabilitation improved 6-minute walk distance and quality of life in COPD patients, but the change in walk distance was not related to changes in physical functioning (r = 0.17).
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