COPD Symptoms, Quality of Life Improved by
Supervised Exercise Therapy
Article by LA BioMed researcher confirms the benefits
of pulmonary rehabilitation
Dr. Richard Casaburi
(right) supervises a study of exercise therapy, or pulmonary
rehabilitation, in a patient with COPD.
April 2, 2009 – Those suffering from chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), primarily older people, often
complain that exercise is too exhausting and leaves them breathless. An
article in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
reports that supervised exercise through pulmonary rehabilitation can
actually reduce their feelings of breathlessness, increase their
tolerance for exercise and improve their quality of life.
The article's lead author is Richard Casaburi,
Ph.D., M.D., a senior investigator at the Los Angeles Biomedical
Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed). He directs
the institute's Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, a facility that
focuses on COPD research. Dr. Casaburi surveyed previous studies on
pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD and found that supervised exercise
therapy improves aerobic function of the muscles, which helps reduce the
breathlessness that is common in COPD.
"These findings are a clear indication that
pulmonary rehabilitation can improve the quality of life for those
living with COPD," said Dr. Casaburi.
"The studies also indicate that pulmonary
rehabilitation results in decreased anxiety and depression for COPD
patients because they find they can exercise more, and they enjoy the
feeling that they have mastered something important in their lives."
COPD, a group of lung diseases that includes
chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is the fourth leading cause of death
in the United States. The article in the Journal reports that it is on
course to be the third most common cause of death worldwide by 2020.
Once a disease primarily of men, it now kills
roughly equal numbers of men and women in the U.S. In 2000, COPD was
responsible for 8 million physician office visits, 1.5 million emergency
department visits and 726,000 hospitalizations (about 13% of all
hospitalizations in the U.S.).
While the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation
programs for COPD are well-documented, the Journal article reports that
access to this type of therapy is limited, especially among
lower-income, minority and rural populations.
"A major stumbling block in providing pulmonary
rehabilitation for COPD has been the lack of adequate funding for it,"
said Dr. Casaburi. "That should begin to change next January, when
Medicare starts providing coverage for pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD."
Information Source:
About LA BioMed
Founded 56 years ago, LA BioMed is one of the
country's largest not-for-profit independent biomedical research
institutes. It conducts biomedical research, trains young scientists and
provides community services, including childhood immunization and
nutrition assistance. The institute's researchers conduct studies in
such areas as cardio-vascular disease, emerging infections, cancer,
diabetes, kidney disease, dermatology, reproductive health, vaccine
development, respiratory disorders, inherited illnesses and neonatology.
LA BioMed is an independent institute that is
academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at
UCLA. The institute is located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical
Center near Torrance. For more information, please visit our website at
www.LABioMed.org
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