Reduced level of physical activity in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

There is increasing interest in the quantification of physical activity (PA) with an accelerometer for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, a detailed understanding of the PA in Japanese patients with COPD is lacking. We evaluated the levels of PA in terms of intensity in Japanese patients with COPD and evaluated the factors, which could influence the PA.

Forty-three outpatients with COPD and 21 age-matched healthy subjects were monitored with a triaxial accelerometer, and their PA was compared. Furthermore, the effects of pulmonary function, ADO index (age, dyspnea, and airflow obstruction) and modified BODE index (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity) on the PA were evaluated.

The PA in COPD was significantly reduced at all intensities. The reduced levels of PA in COPD were 23.1% at ≥2.0 metabolic equivalents (METs), 33.0% at ≥2.5 METs, 50.9% at ≥3.0 METs, and 66.9% at ≥3.5 METs, compared with that of healthy subjects, and the reduction was significant at GOLD stage III. The values of FVC, FEV1.0, and DLCO/VA were correlated with that of the PA, but the lung volume parameters were not. The ADO and modified BODE indices were also well correlated with the PA.

The reduced levels of PA in Japanese patients with COPD were objectively demonstrated in terms of intensity that could provide us a new target for the management of COPD.