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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Pursed-lips breathing improves inspiratory capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Frank J Visser1, Sunil Ramlal, P N Richard Dekhuijzen
1Department of Pulmonology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. f.visser@cwz.nl
Background:
In patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pursed-lips breathing (PLB) improves the pulmonary gas exchange and hyperinflation measured by electro-optic coupling. The response to PLB in inspiratory lung function tests is not known.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of PLB on inspiratory parameters.
Methods:
Thirty-five subjects with stable COPD and a forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV(1)) <50% of the predicted value were tested for the following primary parameters before and immediately after PLB, and 5 min later: forced inspiratory vital capacity, inspiratory capacity (IC), forced inspiratory volume in first second, maximal inspiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity, and peak inspiratory flow. Patients were also tested for the following secondary parameters: vital capacity, FEV(1), breathing frequency, end-tidal CO(2) tension, and oxygen saturation.
Results:
Of all the primary parameters only IC (p = 0.006) improved significantly; with regard to the secondary parameters, the mean oxygen saturation was improved by 1% (p = 0.005) and the mean end-tidal CO(2) tension and breathing frequency decreased significantly (p < 0.0001 for both) to 3.2 mm Hg and 3.1 breaths/min, respectively. After 5 min the effects diminished.
Conclusion:
Improved IC after PLB indicates less hyperinflation in patients with severe COPD; there was no effect on parameters of flow.
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