BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) typically presents the
characteristic clinical condition of exacerbation, with more intense
symptoms associated with greater functional loss and consequently lower
chances of patient survival. Objectives This study sought to determine the predictors of exacerbation, alone or in
combination, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
who received physical therapeutic treatment over 6 months. Method This was an observational, longitudinal and prospective study in which 63
COPD patients residing within the municipality of São Carlos, SP, Brazil
were evaluated. These patients had COPD stages II and III and were entered
into a physical therapy program, consisting of 3 periods of assessment over
6 months. We evaluated the occurrence of acute exacerbation as well as the
patients' body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass (FFM), fat-free mass index,
forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), dyspnea, distance
walked (DW) in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and handgrip strength. Results When applying Cox settings with each covariate separately, the results
revealed 5% significance only for the DW in the 6MWT, which demonstrated an
interaction between BMI and FFM. Comparison of the 3 periods of assessment
across the covariates measured showed a significant difference only for the
DW between evaluations in the 3rd and 6th months. Conclusion Upon analyzing the predictors of risk over 6 months of follow-up in patients
with COPD, we found that the DW in the 6MWT was associated with the risk of
exacerbation, although this risk also depended on the covariates BMI and
FFM.