Use the Back button in your browser to see the other results of your search or to select another record.

Detailed Search Results

Home-based respiratory muscle training on quality of life and exercise tolerance in long-term post-COVID-19: randomized controlled trial [with consumer summary]
Del Corral T, Fabero-Garrido R, Plaza-Manzano G, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C, Navarro-Santana M, Lopez-de-Uralde-Villanueva I
Annals Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2023 Feb;66(1):101709
clinical trial
8/10 [Eligibility criteria: Yes; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: Yes; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: Yes; Adequate follow-up: Yes; Intention-to-treat analysis: Yes; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a home-based respiratory muscle training programme (inspiratory (IMT) or inspiratory/expiratory muscles (RMT)) supervised by telerehabilitation on quality of life and exercise tolerance in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. The secondary objective was to evaluate the effects of these programmes on respiratory muscle function, physical and lung function, and psychological state. METHODS: 88 individuals with long-term symptoms of fatigue and dyspnoea after COVID-19 diagnosis were randomly (1:1 ratio) assigned to IMT, IMT(sham), RMT or RMT(sham) groups for an 8-week intervention (40min/day, 6 times/week). Primary outcomes were quality of life (EuroQol-5D questionnaire) and exercise tolerance (Ruffier test). Secondary outcomes were respiratory muscle function (inspiratory/expiratory muscle strength; inspiratory muscle endurance), physical function (lower and upper limb strength (1-min Sit-to-Stand and handgrip force)), lung function (forced spirometry), and psychological status (anxiety/depression levels and post-traumatic stress disorder). All outcomes were measured pre-, intermediate- (4th week), and post-intervention. RESULTS: At post-intervention, there was a statistically significant and large (d > 0.90) improvement in quality of life, but not in exercise tolerance, in the RMT group compared with the RMT(sham) group. Both of the real training groups produced a statistically significant and large increase in inspiratory muscle strength and endurance (d >= 0.80) and in lower limb muscle strength (d >= 0.77) compared with the 2 sham groups. Expiratory muscle strength and peak expiratory flow showed a statistically significant and large (d >= 0.87) increase in the RMT group compared with the other 3 groups. CONCLUSION: Only an 8-week supervised home-based RMT programme was effective in improving quality of life, but not exercise tolerance, in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, IMT and RMT programmes were effective in improving respiratory muscle function and lower limb muscle strength, but had no impact on lung function and psychological status.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help