Cardiopulmonary responses during unsupported upper limb exercise tests and limitations in activities of daily living in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: Cardiopulmonary responses during unsupported upper limb function assessment may vary in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objective: To compare the cardiopulmonary responses during the function assessment with the Six-Minute Pegboard and Ring Test (6PBRT) and the incremental Unsupported Upper Limb Exercise (UULEX) test in COPD and to investigate the correlations with muscle strength and the limitations on activity of daily living (ADLs).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study.