Santoriello C, Fiorenzano G, Musella V, De Rosa C, Polverino M Long-term physical training allows high exercise performance in moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [Journal Article] J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2009 Jun; 49(2):184-6.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem, because of its prevalence, morbidity and mortality. As a result of symptoms such as cough and dyspnea patients with COPD suffer from exercise limitation and reduced health related quality of life. The present paper reports the case of a 67-year old ex-smoker patient with COPD, who had exercised regularly since when he was young, and maintained a better exercise capacity than healthy people of the same age, despite a forced expiratory volume in 1 second of the 60% of the predicted normal value. This case suggests that regular physical exercise in COPD patients may prevent the loss of exercise capacity despite significant airway obstruction.
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