Quality of life and exercise tolerance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Effects of a short and intensive inpatient rehabilitation program

The quality of life and the exercise endurance of patients with chronic obs tructive pulmonary disease are impaired. The aim of our study was to determ ine the impact of a 3-wk intensive inpatient rehabilitation program on the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and to examine the correlation between quality-of-life measures and physiologic measures throughout rehabilitation. Thirty-two patients with chronic obstr uctive pulmonary disease (20 men, 12 women) were evaluated by spirometry an d maximal exercise testing for exercise endurance and by the French version of the Nottingham Health profile for quality of life. Rehabilitation compo nents were individualized exercise at ventilatory threshold (4 hr/day), hea lth education, and physical therapy and relaxation for 3 wk. Our results sh owed an improvement in the quality of life (especially in physical mobility , energy, and social isolation) and exercise endurance (increase of 14% of maximal power and symptom-limited oxygen uptake). In contrast, no significa nt correlations were found between the quality of life and physiologic para meters (gas exchange cardiovascular and lung function parameters) throughou t rehabilitation. Changes in the quality of life seem to be independent of the physiologic results during the course of a shout and intensive inpatien t rehabilitation program. Quality of life should, therefore, be more system atically evaluated to determine the psychosocial benefits, which, although subjective, are important for encouraging patients' compliance with rehabil itation programs.