Background: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is known to lead to improvements in exercise tolerance, health related quality of life and help reduce symptoms. Exercise, although of great benefit, can increase the inflammatory response related to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, depending on intensity and duration. Through this study, the effects of a 12 week, high intensity PR programme on COPD inflammatory related markers were investigated. and exhaled NO at baseline and upon completion of the programme.Results: This 12 week PR programme resulted in significant improvements in both the 6MW distance and health quality of life, but resulted in no changes in the inflammatory markers.
Conclusion:Beneficial effects on functional and HR-QoL measures resulted, which however appear unrelated to changes in the systemic inflammatory markers.
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