Evaluation of Inflammatory Markers in Patients Undergoing a Short-Term Aerobic Exercise Program while Hospitalized due to Acute Exacerbation of COPD.

Introduction: Acute exacerbation is an important factor for a worse prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It promotes the increase of the inflammatory process and worsens quality of life, lung function, and muscle weakness. It is believed that physical exercise performed during the exacerbation breaks the vicious cycle of systemic manifestations without an increase in the inflammatory process.

Impact of adherence to long-term oxygen therapy on patients with COPD and exertional hypoxemia followed for one year.

Objective: To determine the impact of adherence to long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) on quality of life, dyspnea, and exercise capacity in patients with COPD and exertional hypoxemia followed for one year.

Methods: Patients experiencing severe hypoxemia during a six-minute walk test (6MWT) performed while breathing room air but not at rest were included in the study. At baseline and after one year of follow-up, all patients were assessed for comorbidities, body composition, SpO2, and dyspnea, as well as for anxiety and depression, having also undergone spirometry, arterial blood gas analysis, and the 6MWT with supplemental oxygen.

Assessment of Aerobic Exercise Adverse Effects during COPD Exacerbation Hospitalization.

Aerobic exercise performed after hospital discharge for exacerbated COPD patients is already recommended to improve respiratory and skeletal muscle strength, increase tolerance to activity, and reduce the sensation of dyspnea. Previous studies have shown that anaerobic activity can clinically benefit patients hospitalized with exacerbated COPD. However, there is little information on the feasibility and safety of aerobic physical activity performed by patients with exacerbated COPD during hospitalization.

Smoking and Early COPD as Independent Predictors of Body Composition, Exercise Capacity, and Health Status.

The effects of tobacco smoke, mild/moderate COPD disease and their combined effect on health status (HS), body composition (BC), and exercise capacity (EC) impairment are still unclear. We hypothesized that smoking and early COPD have a joint negative influence on these outcomes. We evaluated 32 smokers (smoking history >10 pack/years), 32 mild/moderate COPD (current smokers or former smokers), and 32 never smokers.