Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Prospective Interventional Study

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can limit exercise capacity and quality of life despite medical treatment.This study examined changes in symptoms, physical performance, pulmonary function, and health-related quality of life during a 12-week pulmonary rehabilitation program.Methods: In this prospective, single-arm study, 40 adults with COPD completed a 12-week pulmonary rehabilitation program.During the first six weeks, participants attended one supervised session and performed two home-based exercise sessions each week; the remaining six weeks were home-based.Outcomes were assessed at baseline, week 6, and week 12 using the six-minute walk test, 30 s sit-to-stand test, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, spirometry, Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 (RAND-36).Results: Mean six-minute walk distance increased from 326.50 ± 50.82 m at baseline to 401.80 ± 46.86 m at week 12, while mean sit-to-stand repetitions increased from 8.50 ± 1.93 to 12.50 ± 2.08.Mean mMRC grade decreased from 2.65 to 1.35.Mean CCQ and SGRQ scores decreased from 3.00 ± 0.60 to 1.85 ± 0.67 and from 63.15 ± 7.91 to 44.50 ± 7.93, respectively.Overall changes across the three assessments were statistically significant for these outcomes (all P < 0.0001).Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) increased by 0.05 L, while the FEV₁/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio decreased slightly.Conclusions: Over 12 weeks, participants experienced reduced dyspnea, improved health-related quality of life, and better exercise performance.These consistent gains reinforce the value of pulmonary rehabilitation as an essential component of COPD care.