Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Six-minute walking distance improvement after pulmonary rehabilitation is associated with baseline lung function in
Andrea Zanini1, Alfredo Chetta2, Federico Gumiero3
1Division of Pneumology, IRCCS Rehabilitation Institute of Tradate, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, via Roncaccio 16, 21049 Tradate, Italy ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, via Ravasi 2, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Introduction:
Conflicting results have been so far reported about baseline lung function, as predicting factor of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) efficacy.
Aim:
To ascertain whether or not baseline lung function could predict a benefit in terms of a significant change in 6-min walk test (6 MWT) after PR.
Methods:
Seventy-five stable moderate-to-severe COPD inpatients with comorbidities (complex COPD), allocated to a three-week PR program, were retrospectively evaluated. Pulmonary function, 6 MWT, dyspnea (BDI/TDI), and quality of life (EQ-VAS) were assessed before and after PR program. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the change in 6 MWT (responders > 30 m and nonresponders ≤ 30 m). Logistic regression analysis was used. Results. After PR, 6 MWT performance all outcome measures significantly improved (P < 0.01). Compared to nonresponders (N = 38), the responders (N = 37) had lower values in baseline lung function (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that FEV1 < 50% pred and TL, CO < 50% pred were independent predictors of PR efficacy.
Conclusions:
Our study shows that in stable moderate-to-severe complex COPD inpatients, baseline lung function may predict the response to PR in terms of 6 MWT. We also found that complex COPD patients with poor lung function get more benefit from PR.
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