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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Cardiac cycle: an observational/interventional study protocol to characterise cardiopulmonary function and evaluate a
Melanie M Clarke1,2,3, Claire E Willis3, Jeanie L Y Cheong4,5,6
1Heart Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkvile, Victoria, Australia melanie.clarke@mcri.edu.au.
Insights
Extremely preterm/low birthweight individuals show poorer cardiopulmonary function. This study investigates exercise interventions to improve cardiovascular health in these children and adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Neonatal Research
Background:
- Extremely preterm (EP) and extremely low birthweight (ELBW) individuals face higher risks of adverse cardiovascular outcomes and reduced exercise capacity compared to term-born peers.
- Current understanding of exercise intervention effectiveness in EP/ELBW cohorts is limited, despite exercise's role in mitigating cardiopulmonary risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the cardiopulmonary system of EP/ELBW children and adolescents in comparison to term-born controls.
- To evaluate the impact of a 10-week home-based exercise intervention on cardiopulmonary function in EP/ELBW individuals.
Main Methods:
- A single-centre study involving 58 EP/ELBW children/adolescents (aged 10-18) and 58 matched term-born controls.
- Physiological assessments included blood pressure, arterial stiffness, capillary density, peak oxygen consumption, lung clearance indexes, and ventricular structure/function.
- A 10-week stationary cycling program using Zwift technology formed the home-based intervention, with assessments at baseline and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Data collection at baseline and post-intervention will allow for comparative analysis of cardiopulmonary metrics.
- The study will provide insights into the physiological responses to acute and chronic exercise in EP/ELBW individuals.
Conclusions:
- This research will elucidate the cardiopulmonary status of EP/ELBW individuals and assess the efficacy of exercise interventions.
- Findings aim to inform strategies for improving long-term cardiovascular health in this vulnerable population.
Introduction:
Extremely preterm (EP)/extremely low birthweight (ELBW) individuals may have an increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Compared with term-born controls, these individuals have poorer lung function and reduced exercise capacity. Exercise interventions play an important role in reducing cardiopulmonary risk, however their use in EP/ELBW cohorts is unknown. This study, cardiac cycle, aims to characterise the cardiopulmonary system of children and adolescents who were born EP compared with those born at term, following acute and chronic exercise bouts.
Methods And Analysis:
The single-centre study comprises a home-based exercise intervention, with physiological characterisation at baseline and after completion of the intervention. Fifty-eight children and adolescents aged 10-18 years who were born EP and/or with ELBW will be recruited. Cardiopulmonary function assessed via measures of blood pressure, arterial stiffness, capillary density, peak oxygen consumption, lung clearance indexes and ventricular structure/function, will be compared with 58 age-matched and sex-matched term-born controls at baseline and post intervention. The intervention will consist of a 10-week stationary cycling programme, utilising Zwift technology.
Ethics And Dissemination:
The study is approved by the Ethics Committee of the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne under HREC2019.053. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal regardless of outcome.
Trial Registration Number:
12619000539134, ANZCTR.
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