Physical Inactivity in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Chronic Disease Management
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Reduced physical activity is linked to increased morbidity in chronic diseases.
• Physical activity levels in sarcoidosis patients are not well understood.
• Objective assessment is needed to understand physical activity in sarcoidosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively measure physical activity in pulmonary sarcoidosis patients.
• To examine the relationship between physical activity and lung function.
• To investigate associations with exercise capacity, symptom burden, and health status.

Main Methods:

• One-week accelerometer (ActivPal™) and IPAQ assessment in 15 sarcoidosis patients and 14 controls.
• Pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk test (6MWT), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), MRC Dyspnoea Scale, and KSQ completed.
• Comparison of physical activity metrics between patient and control groups.

Main Results:

• Sarcoidosis patients had significantly fewer daily steps (5624 vs 10,429) and less vigorous activity (13% vs 50%).
• Daily step count correlated with 6MWT distance (r=0.634, p=0.01) but not lung function or fatigue.
• Time upright and sit-to-stand transitions associated with fatigue, dyspnoea, and health status.

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary sarcoidosis is characterized by significantly reduced physical activity.
• Reduced activity is associated with diminished functional exercise capacity (6MWD).
• Fatigue, symptoms, and health status link more to upright time and activity bouts than step counts.