Inducing Variable Breathing Ratios During Walking to Improve Exercise Capacity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
This study is designed to provide information regarding how to improve pulmonary rehabilitation for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation is an exercise program for COPD patients that is recommended and benefits some, but not all, patients. The question being studied in this trial is whether during an exercise program, walking on an incline might be better than walking on faster on a flat surface in training muscles so that patients might be less short of breath with exercise.
Description
Objective: The objective of this project is to determine the effect of a pulmonary rehabilitation program that utilizes inclined versus standard exercise to improve breathing and walking for individuals with COPD. Research Design: Fifty-six patients with COPD (28 in each treatment group: inclined or standard rehabilitation) will be recruited through the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Center clinics. Patients will be randomly assigned to either inclined or standard rehabilitation groups and participate in a 12-week pulmonary rehab program (3 sessions/ week). Potential research subjects will u…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 45–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans from all sex/gender, race, and ethnicity will be recruited * All subjects will undergo post-bronchodilator spirometry and be clinically stable * All subjects must have documented FEV1/FVC ratio of \<0.7, and between 30% to 80% FEV1% predicted * If subjects have non-qualifying spirometry, they will not be screened further * Subjects with qualifying spirometry will be screened further * Potential subjects must have a BMI of less than 35 kg/m2 and must be free from co-morbidities that may affect walking patterns * e.g., peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, low…
Interventions
- Otherwalking on incline or walking at increasing speed for 36 visits
Subjects will be prepared for data collection by wearing an exercise suit and obtaining height and body weight. Breathing sensors and foot switches will be worn to measure breathing and walking performance.
Location
- Omaha VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NEOmaha, Nebraska