Effects of breathing training on quality of life and activities of daily living in elderly patients with stable severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective: To investigate the impact of breathing training on quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly patients with stable severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Method: Thirty cases of elder patients with stable severe COPD were randomly divided into two groups. The breathing training group which consisted of 20 cases and the control group which consisted of 10 cases. Both groups received medicine theropy. Meanwhile,the breathing training group was chosen to pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing training. We prospectively compared the degrees of improvement of lung function, respiratory rate, QOL and ADL after 3 months breathing training program. Assessment was made before and after the program.Result:Although lung function and ADL had not significant change after breathing training, the respiratory rate and the dyspnea improved significantly in breathing training group.Conclusion:These findings indicated that the dyspnea and the respiratory rate may be more sensitive to assess the rehabilitation effect of breathing training in elderly patients with stable severe COPD, suggesting that the QOL of elder patients with stable severe COPD improved by the breathing training. Pulmonary rehabilitation should be recommended for all patients with COPD.