Pulmonary rehabilitation in interstitial lung diseases

Effect of breathing exercises on patients with interstitial lung disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

This study was designed to synthesize the efficacy and safety of breathing exercises in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients by reviewing the literature and comparing the impact of different control group types, ILD subtypes, breathing exercise action modes or methods, and intervention durations on clinical efficacy.

METHODS

Systematic searches were conducted across 9 electronic databases, including PubMed, to retrieve English and Chinese studies reporting on ILD patients from inception to February 12, 2024. Study selection and data extraction were independently conducted by two researchers. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The data were analysed using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 17.0 software.

RESULTS

The search identified 25 studies. Compared to the control group, the breathing exercise group exhibited significantly improved lung function (FVC%pred: MD  =  3.46, 95%CI = 1.04 to 5.88; DLCO%pred: MD = 3.20, 95% CI = 2.91 to 3.48), dyspnoea (MRC or mMRC scale: MD = - 0.50, 95%CI = - 0.77 to - 0.22), exercise capacity (6MWD: MD = 32.65, 95% CI = 14.77 to 50.53), and HRQoL (SGRQ: MD = - 6.53, 95% CI = - 8.72 to - 4.34) in ILD patients. According to the subgroup analysis, significant improvements consistent with the overall results were observed in the control group with usual treatment. Compared with the control group, breathing exercises had varying degrees of improvement in the mixed diagnostic group, known-cause group, and fibrotic group of ILD patients; breathing exercises alone significantly improved DLCO%pred, MRC (or mMRC), and SGRQ; and the improvement in breathing exercises as part of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) was more notable. Different durations of breathing exercise could promote the efficacy of different aspects of treatment for ILD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with usual treatment, breathing exercises can improve lung function, exercise capacity, and HRQoL in ILD patients, particularly without high requirements for intervention duration. The efficacy of breathing exercises varies for different ILD subtypes, and incorporating breathing exercises as part of PR can be more beneficial for ILD patients. No studies have shown significant risks for ILD patients engaging in breathing exercises.

Weight loss in nintedanib-treated patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Nintedanib is approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Weight loss is recognized as an adverse event during nintedanib treatment, and is a common complication exploitable as a prognostic indicator of IPF. Here, we report a single-center, retrospective cohort study to assess body weight changes during nintedanib therapy in patients with IPF. Sixty-one patients treated with nintedanib for >6 months were included (45 males, mean age ± standard deviation 73.1 ± 7.4 years). Baseline body weight and body mass index were 60.1 ± 12.0 kg and 23.2 ± 3.5 kg/m², respectively. Mean weight loss during the first 6 months of nintedanib treatment was significant (-3.2 ± 3.4 kg, p < 0.0001) with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grades 0,1,2 or 3 of 30, 17, 13 and 1, respectively. Pulmonary function test records 6 months before nintedanib administration were available in a subset of patients (n = 40). Significant differences in weight change over the 6 months before-vs-after nintedanib administration were also observed in these patients [mean differences -2.5 ± 3.4 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI) -3.6, -1.4, p < 0.0001]. Multivariate analysis showed that only baseline body weight was significantly associated with weight loss of CTCAE grade ≧2 (odds ratio 0.921, 95% CI 0.854, 0.994). Median follow-up from starting nintedanib was 34.8 months. There was a significant difference in overall survival between patients with CTCAE grade ≧2-vs-grade<2 (median survival of 25.5 months and 55.2 months, p = 0.014). In the model adjusting for age, sex and lung function, weight loss CTCAE grade ≧2 was an independent predictor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 2.448, 95% CI 1.080-5.551). In conclusion, weight loss is an important issue for the management of patients with IPF treated with nintedanib.

Pulmonary prehabilitation and smoking cessation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to summarize the current literature on pulmonary prehabilitation programs, their effects on postoperative pulmonary complications, and the financial implications of implementing these programs. Additionally, this review has discussed the current trends in pulmonary prehabilitation programs, techniques for improving rates of perioperative smoking cessation, and the optimal timing of these interventions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Prehabilitation is a series of personalized multimodal interventions tailored to individual needs, including lifestyle and behavioral measures. Pulmonary prehabilitation has shown to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs).

SUMMARY

The implications of clinical practice and research findings regarding PPCs are an increased burden of postoperative complications and financial cost to both patients and hospital systems. There is convincing evidence that pulmonary prehabilitation based on endurance training should be started 8-12 weeks prior to major surgery; however, similar rates of improved postoperative outcomes are observed with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 1-2 weeks. This shorter interval of prehabilitation may be more appropriate for patients awaiting thoracic surgery, especially for cancer resection. Additionally, costs associated with creating and maintaining a prehabilitation program are mitigated by shortened lengths of stay and reduced PPCs. Please see Video Abstract, http://links.lww.com/COAN/A90.

Effects of walking with a portable oxygen concentrator on muscle oxygenation while performing normal or pursed-lip breathing in patients with interstitial lung disease: a randomized crossover trial

BACKGROUND

In patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), decreased oxygen saturation (SpO2) reduces physical performance and causes exertional dyspnea. Portable oxygen concentrator (POC) and pursed-lip breathing (PLB) have the potential to improve these parameters in ILD patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of PLB while using a POC during walking in ILD patients.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized crossover trial.

METHODS

We compared two breathing techniques. Participants not trained in PLB received a familiarization session before the first 6-min walking test (6MWT). During the first visit, patients performed the 6MWT under natural breathing (NB1) without oxygen (O₂); during the second visit, they performed the 6MWT twice, once each with PLB (PLB1) and natural breathing (NB2) under O₂ supplementation, to compare the effectiveness of NB and PLB.

RESULTS

Twenty participants were recruited; half had exercise-induced desaturation (EID) and half normal SpO₂. In the normoxemia group (NG), the difference in the 6-min walking distance (6MWD) between NB1 and PLB1 was 28.8 ± 24.0 m, indicating reduced exercise capacity in PLB1. There were no significant differences in the quadriceps tissue saturation index (TSI), SpO₂, and 6MWD between the PLB1 and NB2 in any patient or subgroup. All participants showed a significant increase in the SpO₂ at rest, nadir SpO₂, and mean SpO₂ during the 6MWT with PLB and NB2 using a POC than with NB1. TSI showed a significant improvement at the beginning of 6MWT in ILD patients with EID in the PLB and NB2 condition.

CONCLUSION

Acute exposure to PLB did not improve symptoms, muscle oxygenation, or SpO₂; however, it decreased the walking distance in the normoxemia group. POC improved leg muscle oxygenation in ILD patients with EID. The use of PLB and POC should be prescribed according to disease characteristics and severity.

Inspiratory Muscle Rehabilitation Training in Pediatrics: What Is the Evidence?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is typically used for reducing respiratory symptoms and improving fitness and quality of life for patients with chronic lung disease. However, it is rarely prescribed and may be underused in pediatric conditions. Pulmonary rehabilitation can include inspiratory muscle training that improves the strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarize the current literature related to inspiratory muscle rehabilitation training (IMRT) in healthy and diseased pediatric populations. This review highlights the different methods of IMRT and their effects on respiratory musculature in children. Available literature demonstrates that IMRT can improve respiratory muscle strength and endurance, perceived dyspnea and exertion, maximum voluntary ventilation, and exercise performance in the pediatric population. These mechanistic changes help explain improvements in symptomology and clinical outcomes with IMRT and highlight our evolving understanding of the role of IMRT in pediatric patients. There remains considerable heterogeneity in the literature related to the type of training utilized, training protocols, duration of the training, use of control versus placebo, and reported outcome measures. There is a need to test and refine different IMRT protocols, conduct larger randomized controlled trials, and include patient-centered clinical outcomes to help improve the evidence base and support the use of IMRT in patient care.