Development and implementation of the lung volume reduction pulmonary rehabilitation tool to identify eligibility for lung volume reduction in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during pulmonary rehabilitation.

Background: Completion of pulmonary rehabilitation is recognised in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines as a key opportunity to consider systematically whether a respiratory review to assess potential suitability for a lung volume reduction (LVR) procedure might be appropriate. We describe the development of a simple decision-support tool (the LVR-PR tool) to aid clinicians working in pulmonary rehabilitation, to operationalise this process.

Methods: We took an iterative mixed methods approach, which was partnership-based and involved an initial consensus survey, focus groups and an observational study cohort at multiple pulmonary rehabilitation centres.

Oral nitrate supplementation to enhance pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD: ON-EPIC a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised parallel group study.

Rationale: Dietary nitrate supplementation has been proposed as a strategy to improve exercise performance, both in healthy individuals and in people with COPD. We aimed to assess whether it could enhance the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in COPD.

Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, randomised controlled study performed at four UK centres, enrolled adults with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease grade II-IV COPD and Medical Research Council dyspnoea score 3-5 or functional limitation to undertake a twice weekly 8-week PR programme.

Tai Chi and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Compared for Treatment-Naive Patients With COPD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In COPD, functional status is improved by pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) but requires specific facilities. Tai Chi, which combines psychological treatment and physical exercise and requires no special equipment, is widely practiced in China and is becoming increasingly popular in the rest of the world. We hypothesized that Tai Chi is equivalent (ie, difference less than ±4 St.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition as an Adjunct to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Rationale: Epidemiological studies in older individuals have found an association between the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition (ACE-I) therapy and preserved locomotor muscle mass, strength, and walking speed. ACE-I therapy might therefore have a role in the context of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).

Objectives: To investigate the hypothesis that enalapril, an ACE inhibitor, would augment the improvement in exercise capacity seen during PR.