Impact of pulmonary emphysema on exercise capacity and its physiological determinants in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT: Exercise limitation is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We determined the impact of pulmonary emphysema on the physiological response to exercise independent of contemporary measures of COPD severity. Smokers 40-79 years old with COPD underwent computed tomography, pulmonary function tesing, and symptom-limited incremental exercise testing. COPD severity was quantified according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) by spirometry (GOLD 1-4); and symptom burden and exacerbation risk (GOLD A-D). Emphysema severity was quantified as the percent lung volume <-950 Hounsfield units. Regression models adjusted for age, gender, body size, smoking status, airflow limitation, symptom burden and exacerbation risk. Among 67 COPD subjects (age 67 ± 

SUBMITTER: Smith BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6200804 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature