***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: PURPOSE Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( AE COPD ) impair health-related quality of life ( HRQL ) . We evaluated the effect of an abbreviated repeat pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR ) program on HRQL after an AE COPD . METHODS Patients who had completed PR were followed for up to 12 months to identify an AE COPD and then placed in r and omized groups to receive a 3-week repeat-PR intervention or usual care .  Measures of HRQL ( Chronic Respiratory Disease Question naire , CRQ ) and functional exercise capacity ( 6-minute walk distance , 6MWD ) were collected at 2 ( T1 ) , 5 ( T2 ) , and 12 weeks ( T3 ) post-AE COPD . The repeat-PR program was undertaken between T1 and T2 . Between-group differences were examined using repeated- measures analysis of variance or covariance . RESULTS Of the 60 patients ( 30 men , age 69±8 years , forced expiratory volume in 1 second 0.86±0.40 L , 6MWD 367±99 m ) followed , 41 experienced an AE COPD 14 ± 11 weeks after completion of the initial PR program and 33 completed the study . Of these , 16 and 17 were r and omized to the intervention and control groups , respectively . No between-group differences were demonstrated at T2 or T3 . With the exclusion of 5 subjects who experienced a second AE COPD between T1 and T3 , the participants in the intervention group demonstrated greater reduction in dyspnea when compared to those in the control group at T3 ( 0.8±1.6 vs −0.4±1.3 points per item , P = .04 ) . CONCLUSIONS The reduction in dyspnea in those who did not experience a second AE COPD provides preliminary evidence for the role of repeat programs . The application of repeat PR should be refined in larger trials A prospect i ve , r and omized and controlled study has been performed in 28 patients with severe COPD . A group of 14 has been trained with their lower limbs ( LL ) , while another similar group of 14 patients was also trained with their upper limbs ( UL ) . Results showed improvement in both groups in the endurance test for LL , dyspnea scale , efficiency and muscular working capacity . A considerable improvement was observed in the oxygen uptake at the anerobic threshold ( VO2AT ) which suggests a training effect , expressed through an improvement in exercise tolerance . Only the group who trained UL showed a remarkable improvement in the dyspnea scale , endurance test and maximal static mouth pressure , showing a better intrinsic working capacity and participation of the UL muscles producing those manoeuvres . At the end of training , quality of life was significantly increased and the hospitalization rate was lower in both groups . According to these findings , it is suggested that patients with severe COPD included in training programmes add UL exercises to the LL usually carried out Background : The evidence of benefit for pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR ) programmes is established . However , the optimal duration of a PR programme is not known . A r and omised controlled trial was undertaken in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) to assess whether a 4 week PR programme was equivalent to our conventional 7 week PR programme at equivalent time points of 7 weeks and 6 months . Methods : One hundred patients ( 56 men ) with stable COPD of mean ( SD ) age 70 ( 8) years and forced expiratory volume in 1 second ( FEV1 ) 1.13 ( 0.50 ) litres were r and omised to either a 7 week ( n = 50 ) or 4 week ( n = 50 ) supervised PR programme . Patients were assessed at baseline , at completion of the supervised PR programme , and 6 months later . Patients r and omised to the 4 week group were also assessed at the 7 week time point . Outcome measures were the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test , Endurance Shuttle Walk Test ( ESWT ) , Chronic Respiratory Question naire-Self Reported , and the Breathing Problems Question naire . Results : Forty one patients in each group completed the PR programme . Patients made significant within group improvements after supervised rehabilitation . There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for any other measure at the 7 week or 6 month time points , except that patients in the 4 week group attained higher ESWT times ( mean difference 124 seconds ( 95 % CI 17.00 to 232.16 ) , p = 0.024 ) at the 7 week time point . Conclusions : A shortened 4 week supervised PR programme is equivalent to a 7 week supervised PR programme at the comparable time points of 7 weeks and 6 months OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of a once-weekly supervised pulmonary rehabilitation programme with a st and ard twice-weekly format . DESIGN R and omised trial of equivalency . SETTING Pulmonary rehabilitation service of a primary care trust delivered at two physiotherapy outpatient departments . PARTICIPANTS Thirty patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomes were the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test ( ISWT ) , Endurance Shuttle Walking Test ( ESWT ) and St George 's Respiratory Question naire ( SGRQ ) , assessed at baseline and at completion of the supervised programme . Secondary outcomes were home-exercise activity , attendance levels and patient satisfaction with the programme . INTERVENTIONS The once-weekly group ( n=15 ) received one supervised rehabilitation session per week , and the twice-weekly group ( n=15 ) received two sessions per week , both for 8 weeks , together with a home-exercise plan . RESULTS After pulmonary rehabilitation , the groups showed similar improvements in exercise tolerance ( median values : ISWT once-weekly 60metres , twice-weekly 50metres ; ESWT once-weekly 226seconds , twice-weekly 109seconds ) . However , for health-related quality -of-life , the once-weekly group 's score did not change ( SGRQ 0 ) , whereas an improvement was seen for the twice-weekly group ( SGRQ 3.7 ) . The number of home-exercise sessions and attendance levels were similar between the groups . Patient satisfaction with both formats was high and almost identical between the groups . CONCLUSIONS This pilot provides data to inform a larger study and shows that the methodology is feasible . The findings suggest that once-weekly supervision may be capable of producing equivalent improvements in exercise tolerance as a twice-weekly programme , but the health-related quality -of-life outcome appeared to be poorer for once-weekly supervision Limited information is available regarding the physiological responses to different types of exercise training in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . The aim of this study was two fold : firstly , to investigate the physiological response to training at 60 % of achieved peak load in patients with severe COPD ; and secondly to study the effects of interval ( I ) versus continuous ( C ) training in these patients . Twenty-one patients with COPD ( mean+/-SD forced expiratory volume in one second : 37+/-15 % of predicted , normoxaemic at rest ) were evaluated at baseline and after 8 weeks ' training . Patients were r and omly allocated to either I or C training . The training was performed on a cycle ergometer , 5 days a week , 30 min daily . The total work load was the same for both training programmes . C training result ed in a significant increase in oxygen consumption ( V'O2 ) ( 17 % , p<0.05 ) and a decrease in minute ventilation (V'E)/V'O2 ( p<0.01 ) and V'E/carbon dioxide production ( V'CO2 ) ( p<0.05 ) at peak exercise capacity , while no changes in these measures were observed after interval training . During submaximal exercise a significant decrease was observed in lactic acid production , being most pronounced in the C-trained group ( -31 % , p<0.01 versus -20 % , p<0.05 ) . Only in the I-trained group did a significant increase in peak work load ( 17 % , p<0.05 ) and a decrease in leg pain ( p<0.05 ) occur . Training did not result in a significant improvement in lung function , but maximal inspiratory mouth pressure increased in both groups by 10 % ( C : p<0.05 ) and 23 % ( I : p<0.01 ) . The present study shows a different physiological response pattern to interval or continuous training in chronic obstruction pulmonary disease , which might be a reflection of specific training effects in either oxidative or glycolytic muscle metabolic pathways . Further work is required to determine the role of the different exercise programmes and the particular category of patients for whom this might be beneficial Fifty patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( FEV1 < 50 % pred . ) were r and omized to a rehabilitation group and a control group . The rehabilitation group took part in an individualized multidisciplinary , outpatient 12-month rehabilitation programme . Exercise training was intensive during the first 6 weeks and was then gradually replaced by an individual home-training programme and booster sessions . Controls received the usual outpatient care . Positive effects were found in terms of maximum symptom-limited exercise tolerance and walking distance ( 13.5 and 12.1 % increase , respectively ) in the rehabilitation group compared with the controls . Quality of life measurements showed minor beneficial effects on the Sickness Impact Profile , indicating a higher level of activity . No effect was seen on the St George 's Respiratory Question naire or the Mood Adjective Check List . Patients expressed their enthusiasm for the rehabilitation programme in a study -specific question naire The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a particular breathing pattern training ( BPT ) on forced expiratory volume during the first second ( FEV1 ) and forced vital capacity ( FVC ) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . The subjects adjusted each breath to a target breath displayed on a video screen , by using visual feedback . This target was chosen in an individual sample recorded at rest . We used a r and omized , controlled group design . Twenty patients with stable COPD , FEV1 less than 1.5 liters , undergoing a traditional rehabilitation program were r and omly assigned to the  BPT  group or to the control group . Each BPT  subject underwent 30–35 training sessions spread out over four weeks , in addition to the traditional program . FEV1 and FVC were performed before and after this program . ANOVAs showed that FEV1 and FVC significantly improved in BPT subjects , with a mean percent increase of 22 % and 19 % , respectively . Corresponding changes in controls were not significant . This study showed short-term increases in FEV1 and FVC in COPD patients practicing BPT  in addition to respiratory rehabilitation , in comparison with controls . Further studies should incorporate outcome data to clarify the mechanisms and the duration of this effect To overcome the problem of altered breathing strategy during resistive ventilatory muscle training ( VMT ) , we used a single-orifice inspiratory resistance together with a target feedback device ( TFD ) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . In a preliminary study ( study A ) , we showed that the resistance plus TFD was effective in controlling breathing strategy . We subsequently used the resistor plus TFD in a 5-wk study ( study B ) of VMT in 17 COPD patients who were r and omized into high-intensity ( HI ) and low-intensity ( LI ) training groups . Compared with the LI group , the HI group showed significant increases in static maximal inspiratory pressure ( 21.3 vs. 5.0 cmH2O ) , maximal sustained ventilatory capacity ( MSVC , 3.2 vs -0.1 l/min , sustained maximal mouth pressure ( 12.1 vs. 0.6 cmH2O ) , mean mouth pressure ( 6.9 vs. 3.9 cmH2O ) , peak inspiratory flow rate ( 12.3 vs. 4.0 l/min ) , and maximal sustained work rate ( 12.2 vs. 4.2 cmH2O.l-1.min-1 ) . We conclude that targeted VMT with control of breathing strategy improves both ventilatory muscle strength and endurance The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a taped relaxation message in reducing dyspnea and anxiety in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) patients . Twenty-six adult COPD patients with dyspnea were r and omly assigned to two groups . The treatment group was taught relaxation using a prerecorded tape while the control group was instructed to sit quietly .  Skin temperature , heart rate , and respiratory rate were recorded for all subjects during a total of four weekly sessions . Anxiety , dyspnea , and airway obstruction were measured at the beginning and end of the study . The relaxation group achieved the preset relaxation criteria . Dyspnea , anxiety , and airway obstruction were induced in the relaxation group while the control group remained the same or became worse Objective To evaluate an entirely outpatient-based program of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD , using St . George ’s Respiratory question naire ( SGRQ ) , the 6-minutes walking test ( 6-MWT ) and BODE index as the primary outcome measures . Methods A prospect i ve , parallel-group controlled study of an outpatient rehabilitation program in 80 patients with COPD ( 67 men and 13 women ; mean age 64.8 ± 10.6 years ; FEV1 , 42.8 % ± 7.6 % of the predicted value . The active group ( n = 40 ) took part in a 14-week rehabilitation program [ 3 h/wk , 1.5 h of education and exercise and 1.5 h of cycling ] . The control group ( n = 40 ) was review ed routinely as medical out patients . The following evaluations were 
    Output:
    
A modest improvement in health-related quality of life ( HRQoL ) was identified but this was possibly biased due to high loss to follow-up .
The economic model was speculative due to uncertainty in impact on readmissions .
Compared with UC , post-discharge SM support ( delivered within 6 weeks of discharge ) was more costly and result ed in better outcomes ( £ 683 cost difference and 0.0831 QALY gain ) .
There was little evidence of benefit of providing SM support to patients shortly after discharge from hospital , although effects observed were consistent with possible improvement in HRQoL and reduction in hospital admissions .
It was not easy to tease out the most effective components of SM support packages , although interventions containing exercise seemed the most effective .