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Publications

Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 40565969 DOI: 10.3390/jcm14124225

Hybrid Pulmonary Rehabilitation Improves Cardiorespiratory Exercise Fitness in Formerly Hospitalised Long COVID Patients.

J Clin Med 14(12)

Authors: Nikolaos Chynkiamis, Angelos Vontetsianos, Christina Anagnostopoulou, Christiana Lekka, Maria Ioanna Gounaridi, Evangelos Oikonomou, Manolis Vavuranakis, Nikoleta Rovina, Petros Bakakos, Nikolaos Koulouris, Georgios Kaltsakas, Ioannis Vogiatzis

Affiliations

  • Rehabilitation Unit, 1st University Department of Respiratory Medicine, "Sotiria" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
  • Thorax Research Foundation, 11521 Athens, Greece.
  • 3rd Department of Cardiology, "Sotiria" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
  • Lane Fox Respiratory Service, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 9RT, UK.
  • Centre of Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
  • Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Supervised pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in non-hospitalised individuals with long COVID. However, there is limited evidence regarding PR-induced improvements in cardiorespiratory parameters in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a hybrid PR programme (outpatient followed by a digital intervention) on exercise tolerance, cardiorespiratory adaptations, functional capacity and quality of life outcomes in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors. Methods: Forty-two patients (age (mean ± SD): 57 ± 12 yrs) with excessive fatigue due to long COVID (FACIT score (26 ± 10) were allocated to PR (n = 27) or usual care (UC) (n = 15) 140 ± 75 days from hospital discharge. PR consisted of 8 outpatient sessions (twice weekly for 4 weeks) followed by 24 home-based sessions (3 times/week for 8 weeks). Patients in the UC group were instructed to be physically active. Exercise tolerance was assessed by cardiopulmonary cycling testing to the limit of tolerance. Results: Following the completion of the hybrid PR programme, peak work rate (WRpeak) and peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak) were, respectively, improved in the PR group by 19 ± 10 Watt (p = 0.001) and by 2.4 ± 3.0 mL/kg/min (p = 0.001). Furthermore, in the PR group, the 6 min walk distance was increased by 72 ± 69 metres (p = 0.001). FACIT and mMRC scores were also improved in the PR group by 15 ± 10 (p = 0.001) and by 1.4 ± 1.0 (p = 0.001), respectively. In the UC group, only the mMRC score was improved by 0.7 ± 1.0 (p = 0.008). Conclusions: The application of a hybrid PR programme was beneficial in improving cardiorespiratory exercise fitness, functional capacity and quality of life in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors.

MeSH

Exercise, Quality Of Life, Rehabilitation, Outpatients, Post-Acute Covid-19 Syndrome