Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Effects of Pulmonary Hypertension on Exercise Capacity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Isabel Blanco1, Beatriz Valeiro2, Rodrigo Torres-Castro3
1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Spain.
Introduction:
The impact of pulmonary hypertension (PH) on exercise tolerance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not been fully elucidated. It is necessary to characterize pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with moderate to severe COPD in order to improve their management. The aim of the study was to determine whether in COPD the presence of PH is associated with reduced exercise tolerance in a cohort of stable COPD patients.
Methods:
Cross-sectional analysis of 174 COPD patients clinically stable: 109 without PH and 65 with PH (COPD-PH). We assessed socio-demographic data, lung function, quality of life, dyspnea, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), constant workload endurance time (CWET), and six-minute walk test (6MWT). We elaborated a logistic regression model to explore the impact of PH on exercise capacity in COPD patients.
Results:
COPD-PH patients showed lower exercise capacity both at maximal (CPET) (43(20) versus 68(27) Watts and 50(19)% versus 71(18)% predicted peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), COPD-PH and COPD, respectively), and at submaximal tests (6MWT) (382(94) versus 486(95) m). In addition, the COPD-PH group had lower endurance time than the non-PH COPD group (265(113) s and 295(164) s, respectively).
Conclusions:
The presence of PH is an independent factor that impairs exercise capacity in COPD.
More Related Videos
08:08Increasing Pulmonary Artery Pulsatile Flow Improves Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension in Piglets
Published on: May 11, 2015
07:09Assessment of Pulmonary Capillary Blood Volume, Membrane Diffusing Capacity, and Intrapulmonary Arteriovenous Anastomoses During Exercise
Published on: February 20, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Oxygen Therapy for Respiratory Failure
Oxygen therapy is vital in increasing and maintaining blood oxygen levels in PAH patients. As a result, it aids in reducing fatigue,...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send...