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Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Endogenous opioids modify dyspnoea during treadmill exercise in patients with COPD
D A Mahler1, J A Murray, L A Waterman
1Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA. Donald.a.mahler@hitchcock.org
The European Respiratory Journal
|February 14, 2009
Summary
Endogenous opioids, released during exercise, significantly increase breathlessness perception in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Blocking these opioids with naloxone worsened dyspnea, suggesting a central role in exercise intolerance.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Exogenous opioids like morphine alleviate breathlessness.
- Endogenous opioids may modulate exercise-induced dyspnea in COPD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of endogenous opioids in exercise-induced dyspnea in COPD.
- To determine if blocking opioid receptors affects breathlessness perception during exercise.
Main Methods:
- 17 COPD patients underwent treadmill exercise tests.
- Blood samples measured beta-endorphin levels.
- Patients received naloxone or saline before exercise in a randomized, double-blinded manner.
Main Results:
- Beta-endorphin levels tripled from rest to end-exercise.
- Breathlessness perception was significantly higher with naloxone compared to saline.
- No differences in physiological responses were observed between conditions.
Conclusions:
- Endogenous opioids appear to modify dyspnea perception during exercise in COPD patients.
- This modification likely occurs through altered central perception of breathlessness.
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