[Efficacy of integrative respiratory rehabilitation training in exercise ability and quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in stable phase: a randomized controlled trial.]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important clinical disease, and its global prevalence and mortality rates are high. It is meaningful to investigate the efficacy of integrative respiratory rehabilitation training in quality of life and respiratory physiology of COPD patients in stable phase. Objective: To observe the efficacy of integrative respiratory rehabilitation training in exercise ability and quality of life of COPD patients in stable phase. Design, setting, participants and interventions: Eighty outpatients and inpatients with COPD from Department of Respiratory Medicine, Taihe Hospital, Yunyang Medical College were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 20 patients in each group. The patients in group A only received drug therapy, the patients in group B received traditional qigong training, the patients in group C received modern rehabilitation training, and the patients in group D received integrative respiratory rehabilitation training. Main outcome measures: Chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ), 6-minute walking distance and Borg score in each group were examined before and after one-, three-, and six-month and one-year treatment. Results: The 6-minute walking distance, Borg score and CRQ score in group A had no significant changes after treatment (P>0.05). After one-month treatment, there were no significant differences in 6-minute walking distance and Borg score in groups B, C and D as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After three-month treatment, 6-minute walking distance and Borg score were improved in groups B, C and D (P<0.05). After six-month and one-year treatment, 6-minute walking distance, Borg score and CRQ score in groups B, C and D were improved as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and there were significant differences between group D and any of groups A, B and C (P<0.05). Conclusion: Modern rehabilitation training, traditional qigong training and integrative respiratory rehabilitation training programs all can improve the quality of life and exercise ability of COPD patients, and integrative respiratory rehabilitation training program is better than modern rehabilitation training and traditional qigong training programs. The efficacy of respiratory rehabilitation training is time-dependent, and need long-time adherence to the therapy.