Physical Activity Level in Stable Copd Patients From Central Eastern Europe: Results From a Large Observational Study

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is an important functional outcome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Low levels of PA are associated with a higher risk of exacerbations, exacerbations-related hospitalizations and mortality in COPD patients. This study aimed to describe the PA level (PAL) in a large population of stable COPD patients in Europe. The results from 5 Central Eastern European (CEE) countries are presented.METHODS: This multinational, cross-sectional study (NCT03031769) was conducted in 11 countries. In total, 2162 COPD patients were enrolled; some 1422 patients were from CEE countries: Romania (RO) 406, Poland (PL) 356, Serbia (SB) 250, Bulgaria (BG) 210 and Slovakia (SK) 200. All patients had COPD with duration of $1 year and no exacerbation history or changes in maintenance treatment in the last 2 months before enrolment. At each study visit, dyspnea was assessed with modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale. PAL was assessed through patient self-reports during clinical interview and clinical judgment of physicians (no specific guidance provided). The EVS program (exercise vital sign) and Yale Physical Activity Survey (YAPS) were used for self-reports. Active/insufficiently active/inactive were defined as performing $150/149-1/0 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous exercise, respectively. RESULTS:The 5 cohorts of patients presented the following mean ages (years):