Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in
exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) with and without global fat-free mass (FFM) depletion.
DESIGN: Retrospective case-control. SETTING: Outpatient clinic, university
center. PARTICIPANTS: COPD patients (N=102) that completed PR were initially
evaluated. INTERVENTION: PR including whole-body and weight training for 12
weeks, 3 times per week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: St. George Respiratory
Questionnaire (SGRQ), 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and FFM evaluation applied
before and after PR. RESULTS: Patients were stratified according to their FFM
status measured by bioelectric impedance. They were considered depleted if the
FFM index was </= 15 kg/m(2) in women and </= 16 kg/m(2) in men. From the initial
sample, all depleted patients (n=31) composed the FFM depleted group. It was
composed predominantly by women (68%) with a mean age +/- SD of 64.4 +/- 7.3
years and a forced expiratory volume in 1 second of 33.6%=-13.2% predicted.
Paired for sex and age, 31 nondepleted patients were selected from the initial
sample to compose the nondepleted group. Improvement in the 6MWD was similar in
these 2 groups after PR. Both groups improved SGRQ scores, although the observed
power was small and did not allow adequate comparison between depleted and
nondepleted patients. There was no difference between groups in weight change,
whereas FFM tended to be greater in depleted patients. This increase had no
correlation with the 6MWD or the SGRQ. CONCLUSIONS: Benefits of PR to exercise
capacity were similar comparing FFM depleted and nondepleted COPD patients.
Although FFM change tended to be greater in depleted patients, this increase had
no definite relation with clinical outcomes.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS