Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Interstitial Lung Disease

Overview

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a highly disabling group of conditions including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), acute and chronic interstitial pneumonias, connective tissue diseases and sarcoidosis. People with ILD frequently experience breathlessness on exertion, which limits their ability to undertake daily activities. People with ILD report very poor quality of life due to low levels of physical functioning and vitality, and high levels of breathlessness and fatigue. There are few treatments for ILD and those that are available have limited impact on quality of life. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, which consists of specialised exercise training for people with lung disease, on exercise capacity and quality of life in people with ILD. We hypothesis that exercise training will result in reduced dyspnoea, improved exercise tolerance and enhanced quality of life.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a highly disabling group of conditions including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), acute and chronic interstitial pneumonias, connective tissue diseases and sarcoidosis. People with ILD frequently experience breathlessness on exertion, which limits their ability to undertake daily activities and reduces health-related quality of life.Available treatments for ILD have proved largely ineffective, offering no improvement in survival and demonstrating only limited impact on quality of life. Aims of the Research 1. Evaluate the effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with ILD 2. Determine the physiological response to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in patients with ILD 3. Determine the relationship between the aetiology and severity of ILD and the effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Comparisons: 8 weeks exercise training compared to control group (maximal exercise capacity, functional exercise capacity, dyspnoea, quality of life).