Effect of muscle training on dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Significance of serum lncRNA XIST in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its progression to pulmonary heart disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become one of the major death-related causes. Chronic pulmonary heart disease (CPHD) is an adverse complication of COPD causing poor prognosis of patients. This study evaluated the role of lncRNA XIST in COPD and CPHD aiming to identify a potential biomarker for the screening and prediction of COPD.

METHODS

The study enrolled 127 COPD patients, including 73 patients occurred CPHD with 76 healthy individuals as the control group. The expression of XIST was evaluated by PCR and compared between COPD patients with different severity, grades, and complications. The diagnostic and prognostic values of XIST in COPD and CPHD were assessed by ROC and Kaplan-Meier analyses.

RESULTS

Significant upregulation of XIST was observed in the serum of COPD patients relative to healthy individuals, which distinguished COPD patients and showed a correlation with the respiratory and pulmonary function of COPD patients. COPD patients with acute exacerbations and CPHD showed a higher expression level. Increasing serum XIST discriminated COPD patients combined CPHD and positively correlated with right ventricular hypertrophy and pulmonary hypertension. Higher serum XIST levels could indicate the adverse 3-year prognosis of COPD patients, especially for COPD patients combined with CPHD.

CONCLUSION

Upregulated XIST served as a biomarker for screening COPD and predicting adverse prognosis of COPD and COPD patients with CPHD.

The occurrence mechanism, assessment, and non-pharmacological treatment of dyspnea

Dyspnea is a subjective sensation often described as a feeling of respiratory effort, tightness, or air hunger. The underlying mechanisms of this symptom are multifaceted and involve factors such as respiratory centers, cardiovascular system, airways, neuromuscular components, and metabolic factors, although not fully elucidated. The classical theory of imbalance between inspiratory neural drive (IND) and the simultaneous dynamic responses of the respiratory system posits that the disruption of a normal and harmonious relationship fundamentally shapes the expression of respiratory discomfort. Assessment and comprehensive treatment of dyspnea are crucial for patient rehabilitation, including subjective self-reporting and objective clinical measurements. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as pulmonary rehabilitation, fan therapy, exercise, chest wall vibration, virtual reality technology, traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture and acupressure), and yoga, have shown promise in alleviating dyspnea symptoms. Additionally, oxygen therapy, has demonstrated short-term benefits for patients with pre-hospital respiratory distress and hypoxemia. This review provides a comprehensive overview of dyspnea, emphasizing the importance of a multifaceted approach for its assessment and management, with a focus on non-pharmacological interventions that contribute to enhanced patient outcomes and quality of life.

Potential Therapeutic Role of Respiratory Muscle Training in Dyspnea Management of Cancer Survivors: A Narrative Review

Dyspnea is a disabling symptom presented in approximately half of all cancer survivors. From a clinical perspective, despite the availability of pharmacotherapies, evidence-based effective treatments are limited for relieving dyspnea in cancer survivors. Preliminary evidence supports the potential of respiratory muscle training to reduce dyspnea in cancer survivors, although large randomized controlled studies are warranted. The aims of this article were to review the relevant scientific literature on the potential therapeutic role of respiratory muscle training in dyspnea management of cancer survivor, and to identify possible mechanisms, strengths and limitations of the evidence as well as important gaps for future research directions.

[Respiratory physiotherapy in private practice: Interest and prescription modalities]

INTRODUCTION

Respiratory diseases represent a major public health issue and impact both quality of life and life expectancy of the patients.

STATE OF ART

Several interventions used in respiratory physiotherapy have been shown to reduce dyspnoea, improve quality of life and reduce hospitalisation in many respiratory diseases. However, respiratory physiotherapy remains poorly known to the medical community and may be under-prescribed.

PERSPECTIVES

In order to improve the interdisciplinarity around the patient with respiratory impairment, we describe the interests and prescription modalities of liberal respiratory physiotherapy. In the context of respiratory physiotherapy acts, the precision of drafting prescription directly conditions the means implemented by the physiotherapist regarding care provided to the patient.

CONCLUSION

The increased knowledge of prescribers, both concerning the prescription methods and the precise content of the rehabilitation sessions is one of the keys to their success.

Elastic tape reduces dyspnea and improves health status in the short term in nonobese COPD males: A randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The elastic tape (ET) is a novel intervention that acutely improves exercise capacity in laboratory tests; however, its effect on a patient's daily life remains unknown. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of ET on daily life physical activity (DLPA), dyspnea symptoms, health status, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with COPD.

METHODS

Fifty males with moderate to very severe COPD were randomly assigned to an intervention group (ETG, n = 25), receiving ET on the chest wall and abdomen, or a control group (CG, n = 25). The intervention was for 14 days. DLPA (accelerometry; steps per day, and sedentary time), dyspnea symptoms (transition dyspnea index, TDI; and modified Medical Research Council, mMRC), health status (COPD assessment test, CAT), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL, CRQ) were evaluated at baseline and on Day 21 after the intervention.

RESULTS

No change in the DLPA was observed in between-group comparison. CG presented a reduction in step counts after 21days (-707,p <0.05) while ETG. maintained (-114,p > 0.94). However, ET reduced dyspnea symptoms in all TDI domains (functional, task, and effort) and on the mMRC scale after 14 days compared with CG (p < 0.01). Also, the ETG improved CAT score compared to the CG, reaching minimal clinical important difference (MCID) (-4.4 score, p <0.01). The ETG also improved in most CRQ domains reaching MCID after 21 days.

CONCLUSIONS

ET does not modify DLPA but reduces dyspnea and improves health status and HRQoL in nonobese males with moderate to very severe COPD in the short term. This novel and low-cost intervention improves COPD symptoms.

Effects of usual yoga practice on the diaphragmatic contractility: A cross-sectional controlled study

Objectives

The aim of this study is to observe and compare the effects of regular yoga practice on the main inspiratory muscle, the diaphragm, by analyzing its thickness, excursion, velocity and contraction time, using ultrasound.

Design

A Cross-Sectional Controlled Study.

Participants

80 healthy subjects (40 habitual yoga practitioners and 40 non-practitioners), without previous respiratory pathology participated in this study. During maximum diaphragmatic breathing, the diaphragmatic thickness (at rest and after maximum inspiration), excursion, velocity and contraction time were measured by ultrasound.

Results

in the experimental group, practicing yoga, statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed compared to the control group, not practicing, in the thickness of the diaphragm at rest (0.26 ± 0.02 vs 0.22 ± 0.01 cm); the diaphragmatic thickness in maximum inspiration (0.34 ± 0.03 vs 0.28 ± 0.03 cm); contraction velocity (1.54 ± 0.54 vs 2.23 ± 0.86 cm/s), contraction time (3.28 ± 0.45 vs 2.58 ± 0.49 s) and Borg scale of perceived exertion (1.05 ± 1.6 vs 1.70 ± 1.34), p = 0.05. However, the diaphragmatic excursion was greater in the control group (5.45 ± 1.42 vs 4.87 ± 1.33 cm) with no statistically significant differences (p = 0.06).

Conclusions

the regular practice of yoga improves the parameters of diaphragm thickness, speed and contraction time measured in ultrasound and the sensation of perceived exertion during a maximum inspiration. So it can be considered as another method for training the inspiratory muscles in clinical practice.

The Effectiveness of Nursing Rehabilitation Interventions on Self-Care for Older Adults with Respiratory Disorders: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background: This research work aimed to summarize the rehabilitation nursing interventions published in the scientific literature that most contribute to effective adherence to self-care in older adults with respiratory diseases. Methods: A systematic literature review with meta-analysis was conducted by searching the EBSCOhost platform (CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE Complete, Cochrane, and MedicLatina) using the PRISMA methodology. Five articles were selected for final analysis. Meta-analysis was carried out using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software, and the results were presented in a forest plot. Results: Thirty-one self-promoting rehabilitation nursing interventions were identified, with the most effective being those related to the assessment of progress in physical capacity/activity tolerance (functional status category/domain) and the assessment of the increase in health-related quality of life (health-related quality of life category/domain). Conclusions: Rehabilitation nursing interventions such as self-management programs led by nurses, community-based and home-based rehabilitation programs, and inspiratory muscle training can effectively reduce and enable the effective control of symptoms associated with respiratory disorders, boosting older adults' empowerment to engage in self-care.

Evaluation and Management of Dyspnea in Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Generalized Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder: Protocol for a Pilot and Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Dyspnea is a prevalent symptom in individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder (G-HSD), yet its contributors have not been identified. One known contributor to dyspnea is respiratory muscle weakness. The feasibility and effectiveness of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in combination with standard-of-care rehabilitation (aerobic, resistance, neuromuscular stabilization, and balance and proprioception exercises) in improving respiratory muscle strength and patient-reported outcomes in patients with hEDS or G-HSD have not been evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate dyspnea, respiratory muscle strength, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in hEDS or G-HSD compared with healthy controls and to assess the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of IMT and standard-of-care rehabilitation for improving respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, and PROMs compared with standard-of-care rehabilitation in hEDS and G-HSD.

METHODS

The study will include 34 participants with hEDS or G-HSD and 17 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls to compare respiratory muscle structure and function and PROMs. After baseline assessments, participants with hEDS or G-HSD will be randomized into the intervention group and provided IMT combined with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome standard-of-care rehabilitation or into the usual care group, and provided only standard-of-care rehabilitation for 8 weeks. The intervention group will be prescribed IMT in their home environment using the POWERbreathe K5 IMT device (POWERbreathe International Ltd). IMT will comprise 2 daily sessions of 30 breaths for 5 days per week, with IMT progressing from 20% to 60% of the baseline maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) over an 8-week period. Feasibility will be assessed through rates of recruitment, attrition, adherence, adverse events, and participant satisfaction. The primary pilot outcome is MIP change over an 8-week period in hEDS or G-HSD. Secondary outcomes will include the evaluation of dyspnea using Medical Research Council Scale and 18-point qualitative dyspnea descriptors; diaphragmatic thickening fraction using ultrasound; respiratory muscle endurance; pulmonary function; prefrontal cortical activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy; aerobic capacity during cardiopulmonary exercise testing; quality of life using Short Form-36; and scores from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale-21. These measures will also be performed once in healthy controls to compare normative values. Multivariable regression will be used to assess the contributors to dyspnea. Paired 2-tailed t tests will be used to assess the changes in MIP and secondary measures after 8 weeks of IMT.

RESULTS

Study recruitment began in August 2021 and, with several disruptions owing to COVID-19, is expected to be completed by December 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will provide a better understanding of the factors associated with dyspnea and the feasibility and effectiveness of IMT combined with standard-of-care rehabilitation. IMT may be a novel therapeutic strategy for improving respiratory muscle function and patient-reported outcomes in individuals with hEDS or G-HSD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04972565; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04972565.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/44832.

Identifying patterns of kinesiophobia trajectories among COPD patients: A longitudinal study

AIM

To determine differences in kinesiophobia levels among COPD patients at different time points 6 months after discharge；To identify potential subgroups of COPD patients who perceived different levels of kinesiophobia over time；and to evaluate differences in identified subgroups based on demographic and disease-related characteristics DESIGN: An observational longitudinal study.

METHODS

OPD patients hospitalized in respiratory department of a grade A hospital in Huzhou city from October 2021 to May 2022 were selected as the research objects. TSK scale was used to evaluate the level of kinesiophobia at discharge (T1), 1 month after discharge (T2), 4 months after discharge (T3) and 6 months after discharge (T4). The kinesiophobia level scores at different time points were compared using latent class growth modelling. ANOVA and Fisher's exact tests were used to test differences in demographic characteristics，and univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors.

RESULTS

During the first 6 months after discharge, kinesiophobia levels decreased significantly in the entire sample of COPD patients. The best-fitting group-based trajectory model described three distinctive trajectories: Low kinesiophobia group (31.4% of sample); Medium kinesiophobia group (43.4% of sample)；and High kinesiophobia group (25.2% of sample). Logistic regression results showed that sex, age, course of disease, pulmonary function, education level, BMI, the level of pain, MCFS and mMRC were influencing factors of kinesiophobia trajectory in COPD patients (p < 0.05).

Effectiveness of precise and quantitative rapid pulmonary rehabilitation nursing program for elderly patients with lung cancer during the perioperative period: A randomized controlled trial

Objective

Preoperative rehabilitation should improve the functional condition of patients. Improvements in metabolism, lung mechanics, cardiovascular function, and muscle-function can be achieved by pulmonary rehabilitation. Hence, we focused on elderly patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery, and assessed the effectiveness of a rapid and precise pulmonary rehabilitation nursing program during the perioperative period.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial at the department of thoracic surgery; Shanghai pulmonary hospital, China during 2021 was conducted amongst 218 elderly patients with lung cancer treated by surgical operation into either a precision quantitative nursing model nursing group (experimental group) or a perioperative routine nursing group (control group). After individual planning of the pulmonary rehabilitation nursing outpatient clinic, nurses distributed breathing trainers, instructed the patients in breathing training, and supervised the patients after the operation. For our evaluation we considered pulmonary function tests, postoperative thoracic drainage tube indwelling times, postoperative hospital stays, postoperative complication rates, and postoperative quality of life results.

Result

The experimental group showed better pulmonary function, length of hospital stay, and quality of life outcomes than the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, we found a significantly higher postoperative complications rate in the control group (11.9%) than in the experimental group (3.7%; p=0.02).

Conclusion

Strengthening pulmonary rehabilitation nursing interventions for elderly patients with lung cancer during the perioperative period can reduce their postoperative complications and promote their rapid recovery. Clinical Trial: Registration Number - ChiCTR2100042916.].

Efficacy of Nasal High-Flow Oxygen Therapy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in Long-Term Oxygen and Nocturnal Non-Invasive Ventilation during Exercise Training

High-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) improves gas exchange and dead space washout and reduces the level of work required for breathing. This study aimed to evaluate pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) combined with HFOT in COPD patients treated with nocturnal non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). In particular, we sought to discover whether the addition of HFOT during exercise training could improve patients’ performance, mainly with regard to their Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT) outcomes, and reduce the exacerbation rates, periods of rehospitalization or need to resort to unscheduled visits. Thirty-one COPD subjects (13 female) who used nocturnal NIV were included in a randomized controlled trial and allocated to one of two groups: the experimental group (EG), with 15 subjects, subjected to PR with HFOT; and the control group (CG), with 16 subjects, subjected to PR without HFOT. The primary outcome of the study was the observation of changes in the 6MWT. The secondary outcome of the study was related to the rate of exacerbation and hospitalization. Data were collected at baseline and after one, two and three cycles of cycle-ergometer exercise training performed in 20 supervised sessions of 40 min thrice per week, with a washout period of 3 months between each rehabilitation cycle. Statistical significance was not found for the 6MWT distance (W = 0.974; p = 0.672) at the last follow-up, but statistical significance was found for the Borg scale in regard to dyspnea (W = 2.50; p < 0.001) and fatigue (W = 2.00; p < 0.001). HFOT may offer a positive option for dyspnea-affected COPD patients in the context of LTOT and nocturnal NIV.

O uso do core set da CIF para avaliação de pacientes com distúrbios cardiorrespiratórios

Introdução: A Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde (CIF) categoriza a saúde e deficiência do indivíduo considerando a funcionalidade e os fatores contextuais. No entanto, a CIF apresenta muitas categorias que dificultam o seu uso diário e, por isso, foram criados os core sets. Entre os diversos core sets propostos, existe um core set para condições cardiorrespiratórias pós-agudas. Objetivo: classificar os pacientes com alterações cardíacas, respiratórias e mistas, assistidos ambulatoriais por meio de um core sets para esta população, além de verificar se existem diferenças entre os grupos na aplicação deste core set. Métodos: Foram avaliados indivíduos com diagnóstico clínico de doenças cardiorrespiratórias em acompanhamento fisioterapêutico ambulatorial para reabilitação cardiopulmonar. A amostra foi dividida em três grupos: cardíacos, respiratórios e mistos. Os pacientes foram avaliados por meio da versão abreviada do core set para condições cardiorrespiratórios pós-agudas, funcionalidade, força de preensão palmar e dos músculos respiratórios. Resultados: A amostra foi composta por 67 indivíduos alocados de acordo com seu comprometimento. Verificou-se que apenas as funções de energia e impulso, cardíaca e de ingestão, estrutura do sistema respiratório e a atividade andar apresentaram respostas significativamente diferentes entres os grupos. Pacientes com distúrbios respiratórios, cardíacos e mistos apresentam perfis funcionais semelhantes, porém as categorias com diferença desse perfil foram as relacionadas ao sistema respiratório, atividades e funções relacionadas ao aumento da demanda metabólica como andar. Conclusão: Assim é possível afirmar que o core set auxilia a identificar as disfunções dos pacientes sem depender se sua disfunção é cardíaca, respiratória ou mista que pode ser uma ferramenta utilizada no meio clínico.

Community-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs in Individuals With COPD

BACKGROUND

Community-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs can be offered to patients with COPD, but the literature on its effects is still not well summarized. Our purpose was to investigate the health-, physical-, and respiratory-related effects of community-based PR in individuals with COPD as compared to control groups.

METHODS

The PubMed and Embase databases were searched up to May 17, 2021. We included randomized control trials that compared the effects of community-based PR as compared to control groups in individuals with COPD. The risk of bias was judged using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2). Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to estimate the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% CI of the mean changes from baseline between groups. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was used to interpret certainty of results.

RESULTS

We included 10 randomized control studies comprising a total of 9,350 participants with weighted mean age of 62.3 ± 2.38 y. The community-based interventions were based on exercise programs (resistance and/or endurance). All studies were judged as high risk and/or some concerns in one or more domains the risk of bias. All meta-analyses displayed very low certainty of evidence. The community-based PR interventions were significantly superior to control interventions in improving the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire Activity subscore (-0.40 [95% CI -0.72 to -0.08]; k = 5, n = 382) and total score (-0.73 [95% CI -1.29 to -0.18]; k = 4, n = 268) and the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire dyspnea subscore (0.36 [95% CI 0.03-0.69]; k = 6, n = 550). The mean changes from baseline were not different between the groups for all other outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-based PR tended to result in superior health-related quality of life and symptoms than control interventions, but the findings were inconsistent across outcomes and with very low certainty of evidence. Further studies are warranted for stronger conclusions.