Journal of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and prevention
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J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev · Nov 2016
Comparative StudyShort- and Long-term Effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Mild COPD: A COMPARISON WITH PATIENTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE COPD.
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is effective in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the effects of PR in patients with mild COPD have not yet been established. Thus, this study investigated the short- and long-term effects of PR in patients with mild COPD in comparison with patients with moderate to severe disease. ⋯ Pulmonary rehabilitation improves exercise tolerance, muscle strength, physical activity, and health-related quality of life and reduces exacerbations in patients with mild COPD as it does in patients with moderate to severe COPD. Moreover, most of these benefits were maintained at 9-month follow-up, suggesting that PR could be part of the management of mild COPD.