Improved functional exercise capacity after primary care pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with long COVID (PuRe-COVID): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves physical status and symptoms in patients with long COVID, but access to specialised hospital-based centres is challenging. This trial studied the effect of primary care PR on functional exercise capacity and symptoms in patients with long COVID.

Methods

In this pragmatic randomised controlled trial (PuRe-COVID), patients with long COVID were randomised to a 12-week stepwise PR programme in primary care, or to a control group without PR. The primary end point was change in 6 min walk distance (6MWD) from baseline to 12 weeks. Additional outcomes, measured at 6, 12, 24 and 36 weeks, included patient-reported outcomes, physical activity, maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory pressures and hand grip strength.

Results

In

SUBMITTER: Volckaerts T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12636949 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature