[Improvement in expiratory peak flow (PEF) of COPD patients due to "lung" sport for 12 months]

This prospective, randomised, controlled study deals with the question whether it is possible to induce an improvement of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in patients suffering from COPD by a structured "lung" sport programme over a longer period of time (12 months). Furthermore, a comparison with the spontaneous course of the disease was performed. A group of 7 COPD patients (1 man, 6 women, mean age 70 years, COPD grade II - III according to GOLD) who regularly took part in a structured lung sport programme was compared with a control group of 10 COPD patients (5 men, 5 women, mean age 67.5 years, COPD grade II - III according to GOLD) who denied doing sport. The PEF values of the patients were measured after 0 and 12 months during exacerbation-free intervals. The relative changes of PEF in percent after one year were statistically compared. There was an improvement of PEF of about + 10.4 % (standard deviation SD +/- 8.9 %) after 12 months of lung sport. The spontaneous course of the disease of the patients who denied doing sport led to a decrease of PEF of about - 8.8 % (standard deviation SD +/- 11.5 %). The difference in PEF changes with respect to "lung" sport and to the spontaneous course of COPD was highly significant (p < 0.01) in spite of a high standard deviation. The long lasting improvement of PEF due to sport among COPD patients speaks in favour of a positive effect of "lung" sport.