OBJECTIVE The effect of rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been well-documented in randomized controlled trials. Evidence-based guidelines support rehabilitation programmes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but knowledge of their outcome in clinical practice is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of a clinical routine rehabilitation progra...

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are aimed at providing benefits to COPD patients, in various aspects. Our objective was to review the literature on COPD patient rehabilitation. This systematic review involved articles written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; published between 2005 and 2009; and indexed in national and international databases. Articles were classified in accordance with the...

Background and Objectives: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressively worsening lung function, ventilation capacity, dyspnea, and finally reduced exercise intolerance. All of these have a significant negative impact on functional capacity and quality of life. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in IPF and assess the predictor...

The therapeutic efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation is now well established and supported by a substantial body of clinical trial evidence. 2 The place of pulmonary rehabilitation in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic respiratory diseases has been enshrined in national and international guidelines including those recently produced by the British Th...

Respiratory Rehabilitation and Respiratory Division, University Hospital; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; and Respiratory Rehabilitation, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; and Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Cente...

BACKGROUND We examined the influence of overweight and obesity on pulmonary function, exercise tolerance, quality of life and response to pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD. METHODS 261 patients with COPD were divided into three groups: normal body mass index (BMI), overweight and obese. Baseline and post rehabilitation pulmonary function, 6-min walking test (6MWT), endurance time during a cons...

Traditionally, patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) were advised to limit their physical activity because of the risk of fatal cardiovascular compromise. However, relatively little is known about the risks and benefits of exercise for patients with PH. The present article discussed the effects and safety of pulmonary rehabilitation in PH in light of the current literature. To sum up, exerc...