Home-based exercise is capable of preserving hospital-based improvements in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

AbstractWe examined the feasibility of home-based walking training to maintain the benefits of a short-term exercise training in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).After initial recovery from an exacerbation, 46 patients were randomized into a training and a control group, and 30 patients completed the programme (mean±SD FEV1, 36±7 % predicted). The training group performed a 10-day walking training programme in the hospital, followed by a 6-month programme of supervised walking training at home, integrated into daily activities. The control group did not have exercise training in the hospital or at home. Until 6 months after discharge, lung function, exercise performance and symptom scores were assessed.Six-minute walking distance in the training group improved from day 1 to day 10 (P<0·001) and this effect was maintained over 6 months (P<0·001). On average, daily walking distance at home was 2308 m and walking was reported on 157 days. Quality of life (QoL) scores changed significantly over 6 months (P