CRD Editor's Corner Archive: January-March 2021

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Pulmonary rehabilitation at a time of social distancing: prime time for tele-rehabilitation?

The global COVID-19 pandemic and the concomitant social distancing measures taken in many countries to suppress transmission of the virus has had an immediate and profound effect on the provision of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services. Conventional PR programmes organised around groups of people attending a rehabilitation centre have been suspended in most affected countries to ensure vulnerable people are effectively shielded from the virus. However, the need for PR has not gone away and consideration is under way about how best to provide effective therapy in the context of the current crisis.1 2 The issue of enhancing access to effective PR is not a new one. The overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of the intervention (reducing disability, improving quality of life3 and potentially offering a survival advantage for those who complete the programme4) has been tempered by well-documented problems across many healthcare systems in ensuring PR is accessible for all who need it.5 It is this problem that has taken centre stage in the field in recent years, and the need for innovation in the delivery of PR is a clear and urgent challenge in the context of the current pandemic. [Opening paragraph

The role of diet and nutrition in the management of COPD.

In 2014, the European Respiratory Society published a statement on nutritional assessment and therapy in COPD. Since then, increasing research has been performed on the role of diet and nutrition in the prevention and management of COPD. Here, we provide an overview of recent scientific advances and clinical implications. Evidence for a potential role of diet and nutrition as a risk factor in the development of COPD has been accumulating and is reflected in the dietary patterns of patients with COPD. Consuming a healthy diet should, therefore, be promoted in patients with COPD. Distinct COPD phenotypes have been identified incorporating nutritional status, ranging from cachexia and frailty to obesity. The importance of body composition assessment and the need for tailored nutritional screening instruments is further highlighted. Dietary interventions and targeted single or multi-nutrient supplementation can be beneficial when optimal timing is considered. The therapeutic window of opportunity for nutritional interventions during and recovering from an acute exacerbation and hospitalisation is underexplored

Predictors of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Completion in the UK

Aim Determine characteristics of people with COPD associated with completion of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).Methods Cross-sectional analysis of 7060 people with COPD enrolled in PR between 03/01/2017 and 31/03/2017. Data were from a UK national audit of COPD care. Factors associated with PR completion were determined using mixed-effects logistic regression with a random intercept for PR service. Factors chosen for assessment based on clinical judgement and data availability were: age, gender, country, SES, Body Mass Index (BMI), referral location, programme type, start within 90 days, smoking status, oxygen therapy, GOLD stage, MRC grade, any exercise test, and any health status questionnaire.Results 4635 (66%) people with COPD completed a PR programme. People that were 60 years or older, resident in Wales, referred within 90 days, an ex- or never smoker, received an exercise test, or received a health status questionnaire had significantly greater odds of completing PR. People that were in the most deprived quintile, underweight or very severely obese, enrolled in a rolling rather than a cohort programme, had a higher GOLD stage, and had a higher MRC grade had significantly lower odds of completing PR.Conclusion People with COPD were more likely to complete PR when best-practice guidelines were followed. People with more severe COPD symptoms and those enrolled in rolling rather than cohort programmes were less likely to complete PR. Referring people with COPD in the earlier stages of disease, ensuring programmes follow best-practice guidelines, and favouring cohort over rolling programmes could improve rates of PR completion.</div

Lung volume reduction eligibility in patients with COPD completing pulmonary rehabilitation: results from the UK National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme

Objectives To establish what proportion of patients completing a UK pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme meet the 2018 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guideline (NG115) criteria to have a respiratory review to establish whether referral to a lung volume reduction multidisciplinary team would be appropriate. This respiratory review would include evaluation of the presence of hyperinflation and the presence of emphysema on CT scan. The NICE criteria include measures of breathlessness and exercise capacity but these parameters are not completely defined.Design Observational study.Setting PR programmes across the UK in 2015 (210 centres) and 2017 (184 centres) entering data into the Royal College of Physicians’ National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme.Participants 8295 (55.7%) of 14 889 patients in programmes using incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) or 6-minute walk test (6MWT) as an outcome measure completed PR, and 4856 (32.6%) had complete data recorded (6MWT/ISWT, baseline spirometry, Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea score).Results Depending on the walking test safety threshold adopted for the ISWT (≥140 m or ≥ 80 m) and the MRC dyspnoea score threshold used (MRC score ≥3 or ≥4 at the end of PR), between 4.9% and 18.1% of PR completers met the NICE criteria for a lung volume reduction-focused respiratory review.Conclusions Lung volume reduction therapies are beneficial in appropriately selected patients with COPD, but few procedures are performed, and treatment pathways are unclear. These data help to inform the feasibility of the approach recommended by NICE and highlight the need for future systematic pathways to reduce inequalities in patients being considered for effective treatments.</div

Body mass index across adulthood and the development of airflow obstruction and emphysema

Background: Low body mass index (BMI) is associated with COPD, but temporal relationships between airflow obstruction (AO) development and emphysematous change are unclear. We investigated longitudinal changes in BMI, AO, and lung density throughout adulthood using data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort (FOC). Methods: BMI trajectories were modelled throughout adulthood in 4587 FOC participants from Exam 2 (mean age = 44), through Exam 9 (mean age = 71), in AO participants and non-AO participants (AO n = 1036), determined by spirometry, using fractional polynomial growth curves. This process was repeated for low lung density (LLD) and non LLD participants (LLD n = 225) determined by Computed Tomography. Spirometry decline was compared separately between tertiles of BMI in those aged Results: The BMI trajectory from 30 years of age was visually lower in the AO group than both non-AO smokers (non- 1/FVC ratio in both sexes. Conclusion: Mean BMI is lower throughout adulthood in AO and LLD participants. Lower BMI is associated with a steeper decline in the ratio of FEV1/FVC. These findings suggest body mass may precede and potentially have a role in the development of COPD lung pathophysiology.</p

Change in V˙O_2peak in response to aerobic exercise training and the relationship with exercise prescription in people with COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: ▪▪▪ RESEARCH QUESTION: The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic training and exercise prescription on peak oxygen uptake (V˙O2peak) in COPD. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed by using MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane databases for all studies measuring V˙O2peak prior to and following supervised lower-limb aerobic training in COPD. A random effects meta-analysis limited to randomized controlled trials comparing aerobic training vs usual care was conducted. Other study designs were included in a secondary meta-analysis and meta-regression to investigate the influence of program and patient factors on outcome. RESULTS: A total of 112 studies were included (participants, N = 3,484): 21 controlled trials (n = 489), of which 13 were randomized (n = 288) and 91 were uncontrolled (n = 2,995) studies. Meta-analysis found a moderate positive change in V˙O2peak (standardized mean difference, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34-0.69) with the intervention. The change in V˙O2peak was positively associated with target duration of exercise session (P = .01) and, when studies > 1 year duration were excluded, greater total volume of exercise training (P = .01). Similarly, the change in V˙O2peak was greater for programs > 12 weeks compared with those 6 to 12 weeks when adjusted for age and sex. However, reported prescribed exercise intensity (P = .77), training modality (P > .35), and mode (P = .29) did not affect V˙O2peak. Cohorts with more severe airflow obstruction exhibited smaller improvements in V˙O2peak (P < .001). INTERPRETATION: Overall, people with COPD achieved moderate improvements in V˙O2peak through supervised aerobic training. There is sufficient evidence to show that programs with greater total exercise volume, including duration of exercise session and program duration, are more effective. Reduced effects in severe disease suggest alternative aerobic training methods may be needed in this population. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO; No.: CRD42018099300; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov

Prognostication of co-morbidity clusters on hospitalisation and mortality in advanced COPD

RationaleAs the prevalence of multimorbidity increases, understanding the impact of isolated comorbidities in people COPD becomes increasingly challenging. A simplified model of common comorbidity patterns may improve outcome prediction and allow targeted therapy.ObjectivesTo assess whether comorbidity phenotypes derived from routinely collected clinical data in people with COPD show differences in risk of hospitalisation and mortality.MethodsTwelve clinical measures related to common comorbidities were collected during annual reviews for people with advanced COPD and k-means cluster analysis performed. Cox proportional hazards with adjustment for covariates was used to determine hospitalisation and mortality risk between clusters.Measurements and main resultsIn 203 participants (age 66 ± 9 years, 60 % male, FEV1%predicted 31 ± 10 %) no comorbidity in isolation was predictive of worse admission or mortality risk. Four clusters were described: cluster A (cardiometabolic and anaemia), cluster B (malnourished and low mood), cluster C (obese, metabolic and mood disturbance) and cluster D (less comorbid). FEV1%predicted did not significantly differ between clusters. Mortality risk was higher in cluster A (HR 3.73 [95%CI 1.09-12.82] p = 0.036) and B (HR 3.91 [95%CI 1.17-13.14] p = 0.027) compared to cluster D. Time to admission was highest in cluster A (HR 2.01 [95%CI 1.11-3.63] p = 0.020). Cluster C was not associated with increased risk of mortality or hospitalisation.ConclusionsDespite presence of advanced COPD, we report striking differences in prognosis for both mortality and hospital admissions for different co-morbidity phenotypes. Objectively assessing the multi-system nature of COPD could lead to improved prognostication and targeted therapy for patients

A more intense examination of the intensity of physical activity in people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Insights from threshold-free markers of activity intensity

Physical activity (PA) intensity of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is typically evaluated using intensity thresholds developed in younger, healthier populations with greater exercise capacity and free from respiratory symptoms. This study therefore compared (i) PA differences between COPD and non-COPD controls using both traditional intensity thresholds and threshold-free metrics that represent the volume and intensity of the whole PA profile, and (ii) explored the influence of exercise capacity on observed differences. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), average acceleration (proxy for volume, mg) and intensity distribution of activity were calculated for 76 individuals with COPD and 154 non-COPD controls from wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometry. PA profiles representing the minimum intensity (acceleration, mg) during the most active accumulated 5–960 min were plotted. Estimated VO2peak and relative intensity were derived from the incremental shuttle walk test distance. Compared to the non-COPD control group, individuals with COPD recorded fewer MVPA minutes (59 vs. 83 min/day), lower overall waking activity (29.1 vs. 36.4 mg) and a poorer waking intensity distribution (−2.73 vs. −2.57). Individuals with COPD also recorded a lower absolute intensity (acceleration, mg) for their most active 5–960 min, but higher intensity relative to their estimated exercise capacity derived from the ISWT. People with COPD have a lower volume and absolute intensity of PA than controls but perform PA at a higher relative intensity. There is a need to move away from absolute intensity thresholds, and towards personalised or relative-intensity thresholds, to reflect reduced exercise capacity in COPD populations

A proof of concept for continuous, non-invasive, free-living vital signs monitoring to predict readmission following an acute exacerbation of COPD: a prospective cohort study

Background: The use of vital signs monitoring in the early recognition of an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) post-hospital discharge is limited. This study investigated whether continuous vital signs monitoring could predict an AECOPD and readmission.  Methods: 35 people were recruited at discharge following hospitalisation for an AECOPD. Participants were asked to wear an Equivital LifeMonitor during waking hours for 6 weeks and to complete the Exacerbations of Chronic Pulmonary Disease Tool (EXACT), a 14-item symptom diary, daily. The Equivital LifeMonitor recorded respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), skin temperature (ST) and physical activity (PA) every 15-s. An AECOPD was classified as mild (by EXACT score), moderate (prescribed oral steroids/antibiotics) or severe (hospitalisation).  Results: Over the 6-week period, 31 participants provided vital signs and symptom data and 14 participants experienced an exacerbation, of which, 11 had sufficient data to predict an AECOPD. HR and PA were associated with EXACT score (p Conclusions: Increased heart rate and reduced physical activity were associated with worsening symptoms. Even with high-resolution data, the variation in vital signs data remains a challenge for predicting AECOPDs. Respiratory rate and heart rate should be further explored as potential predictors of an impending AECOPD.  Trial registration: ISRCTN registry; ISRCTN12855961. Registered 07 November 2018—Retrospectively registered, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12855961</p