The Long-Term Maintenance Effect of Remote Pulmonary Rehabilitation via Social Media in COPD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Interventions with a clear focus on achieving behaviour change are important for maintaining training-related gains in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review

QUESTIONS

In people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who complete an exercise training program (ETP) offered at a sufficient dose to result in training-related gains, to what extent are these gains maintained 12 months after program completion? Do variables such as the application of behaviour change techniques moderate the maintenance of these training-related gains?

DESIGN

Systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomised controlled trials.

PARTICIPANTS

People with stable COPD.

INTERVENTION

Trials were included if they applied ≥ 4 weeks of a whole-body ETP and reported outcome data immediately following program completion and 12 months after initial program completion. The control group received usual care that did not include a formal exercise training component.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Exercise tolerance, health-related quality of life and dyspnoea during activities of daily living.

DATA SOURCES

EMBASE, PEDro, PubMed and the Cochrane Library.

RESULTS

Nineteen randomised trials with 2,103 participants were found, of which 12 had a sufficiently similar design to be meta-analysed. At 12 months after ETP completion, compared with the control group, the experimental group demonstrated better exercise tolerance (SMD 0.48, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.77) and quality of life (SMD 0.22, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.41) with no clear effect on dyspnoea. Meta-regression using data from all 19 trials demonstrated that the magnitude of between-group differences at the 12-month follow-up was moderated by: behaviour change being a core aim of the strategies implemented following completion of the ETP; the experimental group receiving more behaviour change techniques during the program; and the magnitude of between-group change achieved from the program.

CONCLUSION

At 12 months after completion of an ETP of ≥ 4 weeks, small gains were maintained in exercise tolerance and health-related quality of life. Applying behaviour change techniques with a clear focus on participants integrating exercise into daily life beyond initial program completion is important to maintain training-related gains.

REGISTRATION

CRD42020193833.

Maintenance Pulmonary Rehabilitation: An Update and Future Directions

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines recommend pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for individuals with COPD to improve exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and reduce symptoms of dyspnea. For cost-effectiveness in COPD care, PR is second only to smoking cessation. However, PR programs typically last 9-12 weeks. The benefits of PR in terms of exercise capacity and HRQOL often decrease toward pre-PR levels as early as 3-6 months after completing PR if patients do not continue to engage in exercise. This review will (1) briefly summarize the efficacy data that informed the 2023 American Thoracic Society (ATS) clinical practice guidelines for maintenance PR, (2) discuss exercise components of maintenance PR studied since 2020 when the last papers were included in the ATS guidelines, (3) explore future directions for delivery of maintenance PR using technology-mediated models, and (4) examine the need for behavior change techniques informed by theoretical models that underpin long-term behavior change. This review will focus on persons with COPD who have completed an out-patient core initial PR program as most of the data on maintenance PR have been published in this patient population. Core PR typically implies a facility-based initial intensive structured program. All patients who complete a core initial PR program should be counseled by PR staff at the discharge visit to engage in ongoing exercise. This usual care is equally as important as referral to a formal PR maintenance program. It is critical to emphasize that usual care after core initial PR means all patients should be supported to participate in regular ongoing exercise, regardless of whether supervised maintenance PR is available. Currently, the optimal frequency, exercise and/or physical activity content, and delivery mode for maintenance PR in persons with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases remain unknown. Patient safety and degree of in-person supervision required due to the severity of the underlying lung disease need to be considered. Future research of maintenance PR should be underpinned by behavior change techniques. Finally, in the setting of finite resources, balancing the competing priorities of core initial programs with those of maintenance PR programs needs to be achieved.

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.

Are older adults considered in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mobile health research? A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The use of mobile health (mHealth) for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rapidly growing and may help address the complex respiratory care needs of our ageing population. However, little is currently known about how airways mHealth is developed and used among older adults (≥65 years).

OBJECTIVE

To identify if and how older adults with asthma and COPD have been incorporated across the mHealth research cycle.

METHODS

We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials for studies pertaining to the development or evaluation of asthma and COPD mHealth for adults published after 2010. Study, participant and mHealth details, including any considerations of older age, were extracted, synthesised and charted.

RESULTS

A total of 334 studies of 191 mHealth tools were identified. Adults ≥65 years old were included in 33.3% of asthma mHealth studies and 85.3% of COPD studies. Discussions of older age focused on barriers to technology use. Methodologic and/or analytic considerations of older age were mostly absent throughout the research cycle. Among the 28 instances quantitative age-related analyses were detailed, 12 described positive mHealth use and satisfaction outcomes in older adults versus negative or equivocal outcomes.

CONCLUSION

We identified an overall lack of consideration for older age throughout the airways mHealth research cycle, even among COPD mHealth studies that predominantly included older adults. We also found a contrast between the perceptions of how older age might negatively influence mHealth use and available quantitative evaluations. Future airways mHealth research must better integrate the needs and concerns of older adults.

N6-methyladenosine-methylomic landscape of lung tissues of mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common respiratory disease, can be divided into stable phase and acute exacerbation phase (AECOPD) and is characterized by inflammation and hyper-immunity. Methylation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an epigenetic modification that regulates the expression and functions of genes by influencing post-transcriptional RNA modifications. Its influence on the immune regulation mechanism has attracted great attention. Herein, we present the m6Amethylomic landscape and observe how the methylation of m6A participates in the pathological process of COPD. The m6A modification of 430 genes increased and that of 3995 genes decreased in the lung tissues of mice with stable COPD. The lung tissues of mice with AECOPD exhibited 740 genes with hypermethylated m6A peak and 1373 genes with low m6A peak. These differentially methylated genes participated in signaling pathways related to immune functions. To further clarify the expression levels of differentially methylated genes, RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA-sequencing data were jointly analyzed. In the stable COPD group, 119 hypermethylated mRNAs (82 upregulated and 37 downregulated mRNAs) and 867 hypomethylated mRNAs (419 upregulated and 448 downregulated mRNAs) were differentially expressed. In the AECOPD group, 87 hypermethylated mRNAs (71 upregulated and 16 downregulated mRNAs) and 358 hypomethylated mRNAs (115 upregulated and 243 downregulated mRNAs) showed differential expression. Many mRNAs were related to immune function and inflammation. Together, this study provides important evidence on the role of RNA methylation of m6A in COPD.

Characteristics, Components, and Efficacy of Telerehabilitation Approaches for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is at the top of the list of non-communicable diseases with related rehabilitation needs. Digital medicine may provide continuative integrated intervention, overcoming accessibility and cost barriers.

METHODS

We systematically searched for randomized controlled trials on telerehabilitation (TR) in people with COPD to profile the adopted TR strategies, focusing on TR models and the main rehabilitation actions: monitoring and assessment, decision, and feedback. Additionally, a meta-analysis was run to test the TR effect on functional capacity, dyspnea, and quality of life compared to no intervention (NI) and conventional intervention (CI).

RESULTS

Out of the 6041 studies identified, 22 were eligible for the systematic review, and 14 were included in the meta-analyses. Results showed a heterogeneous scenario in terms of the TR features. Furthermore, only a small group of trials presented a comprehensive technological kit. The meta-analysis highlighted a significant effect of TR, especially with the asynchronous model, on all outcomes compared to NI. Moreover, a non-inferiority effect of TR on functional capacity and quality of life, and a superiority effect on dyspnea compared to CI were observed. Finally, the studies suggested a high rate of TR adherence and high safety level.

CONCLUSIONS

TR is an effective strategy to increase and maintain functional capacity, breath, and quality of life in people with COPD. However, a consensus on the essential elements and features of this approach needs to be defined, and the effect of long-term maintenance merits further investigation.