A Retrospective Analysis of the Safety and Efficacy of a 6-Week Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in Patients with Severe Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• Author / Creator

  Miciak, Gerald B

• Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is progressive disease characterized by reduced exercise capacity and decreased quality of life. Despite the availability of disease targeted therapies outcomes remain sub-optimal. Pulmonary Rehabilitation has proven to improve outcomes in other chronic respiratory disease, but evidence is limited in PAH. We provide preliminary information on the safety and efficacy of a six-week pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) in patients with severe PAH. We analyzed the outcomes for 42 patients that completed the 6-week program. Overall there was a +7.4m (95% CI [-6.7, 21.6]) increase in the 6MWD and quality of life scores improved. All 42 patients completed the program and no adverse events were reported. Our study demonstrated the safety of PR in this group of patients and identified a group of patients with preserved cardiac function (i.e. cardiac output) who appear to have a clinically significant improvement in their exercise capacity and HRQL.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Exercise training
  • Quality of life
  • Retrospective
  • Six minute walk test
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Six-week program
  • Efficacy
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
  • Safety

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3JQ2T

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.