Unsupervised physical activity interventions for people with COPD: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Beyond pulmonary rehabilitation: can the PICk UP programme fill the gap? A randomised trial in COPD

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a fundamental intervention to manage COPD, however, maintaining its benefits is challenging. Engaging in physical activity might help to prolong PR benefits. This study assessed the efficacy and effectiveness of a personalised community-based physical activity programme to sustain physical activity and other health-related PR benefits, in people with COPD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a multicentre, assessor blinded, randomised controlled trial. Following 12-weeks of PR, people with COPD were assigned to a six-months personalised community-based physical activity programme (experimental group), or to standard care (control group). Physical activity was assessed via: time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activities per day (primary outcome measure), steps/day and the brief physical activity assessment tool. Secondary outcomes included sedentary behaviour, functional status, peripheral muscle strength, balance, symptoms, emotional state, health-related quality of life, exacerbations and healthcare utilization. Assessments were performed immediately post-PR and after three- and six-months. Efficacy and effectiveness were evaluated using intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis with linear mixed models.

RESULTS

Sixty-one participants (experimental group: n = 32; control group: n = 29), with balanced baseline characteristics between groups (69.6 ± 8.5 years old, 84 % male, FEV1 57.1 ± 16.7 %predicted) were included. Changes in all physical activity outcomes and in one-minute sit-to-stand were significantly different (P < 0.05) between groups at the six-month follow-up. In the remaining outcomes there were no differences between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The community-based physical activity programme resulted in better physical activity levels and sit-to-stand performance, six-months after completing PR, in COPD. No additional benefits were observed for other secondary outcomes.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Single Exercises on Improving Exercise Capacity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease that significantly impairs the quality of life of patients. Single exercises can help COPD patients focus on enhancing specific physical abilities, and enable a more precise analysis of the specific effects of single exercises on improving exercise capacity in COPD patients.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of single exercises in improving the exercise capacity of COPD patients and to conduct an indirect comparison to identify the most efficacious intervention.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, from their inception to July 1, 2024. A network meta-analysis was used. We calculated mean differences and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals to quantify the effect sizes and assess the precision of the estimates.

RESULTS

65 studies that met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total sample size of 5,034 participants. The meta-analysis demonstrated that single exercises significantly enhanced the exercise capacity in COPD patients. Upon direct comparison, several exercises showed significant improvements in exercise capacity compare to conventional therapy. Core muscle Elastic band exercise appeared to provide the most substantial benefit in enhancing exercise capacity in COPD patients.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare providers are encouraged to consider incorporating Core muscle Elastic band exercise into their intervention plans, given its demonstrated efficacy. However, the presence of substantial heterogeneity among the included studies highlights the need for caution in interpreting these results.

Elucidating the beneficial impact of exercise on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its comorbidities: Integrating proteomic and immunological insights

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Physical activity is an effective therapeutic protocol for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the mechanisms underlying the benefits of physical activity in COPD are not fully elucidated.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

In a mouse model of COPD, analysis of biological markers and lung proteomics identified the molecular pathways through which exercise ameliorates COPD.

KEY RESULTS

Exercise improved pulmonary function, emphysema, small airway disease, pulmonary inflammation, glucose metabolic dysregulation, and insulin resistance in COPD mice. Proteomic analysis revealed 430 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the COPD and COPD + Exercise (COPD + Ex) groups. GO analysis indicated that the enriched pathways were predominantly related to the immune response, inflammatory processes, insulin secretion, and glucose metabolic processes. GO analysis revealed IL-33 as a crucial target for the exercise-related amelioration of COPD. KEGG analysis showed that DEPs were significantly enriched in primary immunodeficiency, the intestinal immune network for IgA production, and the NF-κB signalling pathway. Exercise inhibited NF-κB activation by suppressing the CD14/TLR4/MyD88 and TNF-α/TNF-R1/TRAF2/5 pathways in COPD mice. Exercise inhibited expression of BCR, IgM, IgD, IgG, IgE, and IgA by suppressing B-cell receptor signalling. Exercise attenuated glucose metabolic dysregulation and insulin resistance through the suppression of proinflammatory mediators, including MHC I, MHC II, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-1β, while concurrently increasing insulin expression. The qRT-PCR results were consistent with the proteomic results.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

In a mouse model, exercise improved COPD and its metabolic comorbidities through immune system regulation and inflammation suppression, offering insights into potential therapeutic targets.

Alternative Modes of Delivery in Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A Critical Appraisal of the Literature

PURPOSE

This review presents an overview of the safety and efficacy of alternative modes of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

REVIEW METHODS

We identified recently published systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines, as well as relevant studies, exploring the safety and effectiveness of community-based PR, home-based PR, telerehabilitation, and web-based rehabilitation in people with COPD. A narrative summary of the main findings is presented.

SUMMARY

Although evidence suggests that community-based PR, home-based PR, telerehabilitation, and web-based rehabilitation are effective alternatives to center-based PR, it requires a careful interpretation as several of these programs do not comply with PR definition and have been compared with center-based PR programs that do not reach the minimal clinically important differences. Moreover, there is a huge heterogeneity among programs, and the confidence and quality of the evidence is mostly low. Hence, these novel modes of PR and center-based PR are not interchangeable. Instead, these are alternative modes aiming to increase access to PR. Questions remain regarding the most efficient way of implementing each PR mode, level of access, reimbursement policies, and data privacy in the use of technology. Standard protocols on how to set up each alternative PR mode need to be developed. Future research needs to explore how to use the treatable traits approach in combination with individual preferences and needs, program availability, safety, social support network, digital literacy, and health system context to identify the optimal PR program for each patient.

Association of Lifestyle Behaviors with Quality of Life in Patients with COPD: A Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Care

Background/Objectives: The association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and their effect on quality of life among patients with COPD remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the lifestyle behaviors and their association with the disease-specific quality of life among a primary care population with COPD in Greece. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 236 participants aged 40 years and older from the COCARE COPD study. The healthy lifestyle index (HLI) was created based on smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, physical activity, and sleep duration, with each factor categorized as either healthy (1) or unhealthy (0). The HLI ranged from 0 (least healthy) to 5 (healthiest). COPD-specific quality of life was assessed using the COPD assessment test (CAT), where higher scores indicate poorer health status. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between HLI and CAT scores, adjusting for confounders. Results: Half of the participants were non-smokers or former smokers, while 92% reported consuming low levels of alcohol (less than 14 units per week). Additionally, 56% had a BMI below 30, indicating they were not obese. Surprisingly, only 32% engaged in regular exercise, with at least 150 min per week, and only 25% reported getting adequate sleep, ranging from 7 to 9 h per night. Importantly, poorer health status was inversely associated with non/former smoking (OR: 0.543, 95% CI: 0.282-1.049), physical activity (OR: 0.238, 95% CI: 0.122-0.463), and adequate sleep (OR: 0.337, 95% CI: 0.160-0.710). Patients with higher HLI scores were less likely to have poor health status. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings indicate that a significant proportion of patients with COPD failed to adhere to a minimum of three out of five healthy behaviors. Additionally, a higher number of healthy lifestyle factors defined by a high HLI score were independently associated with a better disease-specific quality of life. This is particularly important for COPD where quality of life is in the epicenter of management. Therefore, healthcare providers could significantly improve the management of COPD and patient outcomes by targeting and improving these lifestyle behaviors with targeted and holistic intervention strategies.

Rural disparities impact response to a web-based physical activity self-management intervention in COPD: A secondary analysis

PURPOSE

This secondary exploratory analysis examined rural-urban differences in response to a web-based physical activity self-management intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

Participants with COPD (N = 239 US Veterans) were randomized to either a multicomponent web-based intervention (goal setting, iterative feedback of daily step counts, motivational and educational information, and an online community forum) or waitlist-control for 4 months with a 12-month follow-up. General linear modeling estimated the impact of rural/urban status (using Rural-Urban Commuting Area [RUCA] codes) on (1) 4- and 12-month daily step-count change compared to waitlist-control, and (2) intervention engagement (weekly logons and participant feedback).

FINDINGS

Rural (n = 108) and urban (n = 131) participants' mean age was 66.7±8.8 years. Rural/urban status significantly moderated 4-month change in daily step counts between randomization groups (p = 0.041). Specifically, among urban participants, intervention participants improved by 1500 daily steps more than waitlist-control participants (p = 0.001). There was no difference among rural participants. In the intervention group, rural participants engaged less with the step-count graphs on the website than urban participants at 4 months (p = 0.019); this difference dissipated at 12 months. More frequent logons were associated with greater change in daily step counts (p = 0.004); this association was not moderated by rural/urban status.

CONCLUSIONS

The web-based intervention was effective for urban, but not rural, participants at 4 months. Rural participants were also less engaged at 4 months, which may explain differences in effectiveness. Technology-based interventions can help address urban-rural disparities in patients with COPD, but may also contribute to them unless resources are available to support engagement with the technology.

Analysing the Effects of Different Types of Exercise on Dyspnoea and Fatigue in Adults through COPD-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous lung condition, the main symptoms of which are dyspnoea and fatigue. Though exercise has been recommended for subjects with COPD, its benefits remain unclear. The aim of this study was to summarise, through a systematic review and meta-analysis, the available evidence on the effects of aerobic, resistance, stretching, and combined exercise on the main symptoms of COPD.

METHODS

Search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with interventions based on aerobic, resistance and/or combined exercise published until July 2022 were identified. The effects were summarised based on standardised mean differences (95% confidence intervals) using random and fixed effect models.

RESULTS

Eight studies were selected, including a total of 375 subjects. The results obtained showed that resistance exercise, aerobic exercise and combined exercise seem to improve dyspnoea and fatigue symptoms in COPD subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, we can conclude that exercise-based interventions appear to improve the main COPD symptoms and may benefit quality of life in this population.

Might Dog Walking Reduce the Impact of COPD on Patients' Life?

Low levels of physical activity (PA) lead to a worsening of physical condition and contributes to multimorbidity in Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (COPD). Unsupervised PA related to dog ownership may contribute to reducing sedentary behavior. We aimed to investigate the relationship between dog walking, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and exacerbations in COPD. A pre-defined sample of 200 COPD patients (dog owners and non-dog owners) with symptomatic COPD was sourced from a database representative of the Italian population. A computer-assisted personal interview was used to assess health status impairment (CAT), fatigue (FACIT), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EQ-5D), and PA frequency. In the whole sample, PA was associated with better CAT, EQ-5D, VAS, FACIT scores and reduced number of exacerbation (p < 0.001). Under the same CAT scores, dog-walking duration was associated with a better HRQoL (EQ5D, p = 0.015) and less fatigue (FACIT, p = 0.017). In an adjusted regression model, walking dogs >30 min was associated with lower fatigue (FACIT) than having no dogs and walking dogs <15 min (p = 0.026 and p = 0.009, respectively). Motivation related to dog walking could modify patients’ tendency to focus on symptoms during PA and, therefore, to perceive the fatigue. Dog walking may be effective for increasing and maintaining regular PA, reducing the subjective impact of COPD.