Skip to main content

Table 2 Studies reporting physical activity and exercise capacity in patients with mild COPDa

From: Weighing the evidence for pharmacological treatment interventions in mild COPD; a narrative perspective

Study

Population

Relevant outcome measure(s)

Finding

Jones et al. 2017 [43]

Mild to moderate COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV1 ≥ 60% predicted); controls without COPD

Incremental exercise test

Increased dyspnoea and ventilatory inefficiency in mild-to-moderate COPD versus controls

Caram et al. 2016 [44]

Never smokers; smokers with/without mild-to-moderate COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV1 > 50% predicted)

6MWT

Lower exercise capacity in mild-to-moderate COPD versus never smokers

Vaz Fragoso et al. 2016 [28]

Smokers with/without COPD (COPDGene cohort [45, 46])

6MWT

Lower exercise capacity in mild COPD versus controls (non-significant)

Elbehairy et al. 2015 [47]

Mild COPD; non-smoker controls

Symptom-limited cycle test

Gas exchange abnormalities with increased dyspnoea and exercise intolerance in mild COPD versus controls

Neder et al. 2015 [48]

COPD; controls without COPD

Symptom-limited cycle test

Increased ventilatory inefficiency and reduced exercise capacity in mild COPD versus controls

Guenette et al. 2014 [49]

Mild COPD; controls without COPD

Symptom-limited cycle test

Increased ventilatory requirements and respiratory effort during exercise in mild COPD versus controls

Chin et al. 2013 [50]

Mild COPD; controls without COPD

Symptom-limited cycle test

Reduced peak O2 uptake; no peak end-inspiratory lung volume increase in mild COPD versus controls

Díaz et al. 2013 [51]

Dyspnoeic (mMRC score ≥ 1) and non-dyspnoeic patients with mild COPD; smoker controls

Borg dyspnoea rating, 6MWT

Decreased inspiratory capacity and increased ventilatory demand during exercise and reduced exercise capacity in dyspnoeic COPD versus non-dyspnoeic COPD or controls

Watz et al. 2009 [41]

COPD; controls with chronic bronchitis

Steps/day, minutes of at least moderate activity, 6MWT

Higher proportion of sedentary patients in mild COPD versus chronic bronchitis

Ofir et al. 2008 [52]

Symptomatic current or former smokers with mild COPD; age- and sex-matched former or non-smoker controls

Symptom-limited cycle test, Borg dyspnoea rating

Increased ventilatory requirements and exertional dyspnoea, decreased peak O2 uptake in mild COPD versus controls

Carter et al. 1993 [53]

COPD (FEV1/FVC, 0.6–0.7; FEV1 ≥ 60% predicted); controls without COPD

Resting and peak exercise gas exchange (with symptom-limited cycle test)

Decreased maximal oxygen consumption and ventilation, reduced work capacity and maximal heart rate in COPD versus controls

  1. A total of 59 results were identified by the search terms stated; only relevant, original studies including a mild or undiagnosed COPD population are shown. 6MWT: 6-min walk test; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; LLN: lower limit of normal; mMRC: modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale. amild COPD defined as GOLD 0 and/or 1 COPD, unless otherwise stated