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Observational Study
. 2017 Apr 13:12:1173-1181.
doi: 10.2147/COPD.S128234. eCollection 2017.

Self-reported daily walking time in COPD: relationship with relevant clinical and functional characteristics

Maria A Ramon  1   2   3 , Cristina Esquinas  1 , Miriam Barrecheguren  1 , Eulogio Pleguezuelos  4   5 , Jesús Molina  6 , José A Quintano  7 , Miguel Roman-Rodríguez  8 , Karlos Naberan  9 , Carl Llor  10 , Carlos Roncero  11   12   13   14 , Marc Miravitlles  1   3
Affiliations
Observational Study

Self-reported daily walking time in COPD: relationship with relevant clinical and functional characteristics

Maria A Ramon et al. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Quantifying physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is important as physical inactivity is related to poor health outcomes. This study analyzed the relationship between patients' self-reported daily walking time and relevant characteristics related to COPD severity.

Methods: Pooled analysis was performed on data from four observational studies on which daily walking time was gathered from a personal interview. Patients were classified as physically inactive if walking time was <30 min/day. Walking times were described and compared according to several markers of disease severity.

Results: The mean daily walking time of 5,969 patients was 66 (standard deviation [SD] 47) min/day; 893 (15%) patients were inactive. A linear dose-response relationship was observed between walking time and the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea score, admissions, COPD assessment test (CAT), body mass index, airway obstruction, dyspnea, exacerbation (BODEx) index, and Charlson index (P<0.001). Daily walking times were lower in patients classified as Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) B and D (P<0.001). Often, inactive patients had mMRC or Charlson index >3, post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second <30% predicted, at least one hospitalization for COPD, classified as GOLD B or D, BODEx >4, and CAT score >30.

Conclusion: Lower self-reported walking times are related to worse markers of disease severity in COPD.

Keywords: COPD; physical activity; symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure JM reports personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chiesi, Pfizer, AstraZéneca, Rovi, and Teva and has received grants from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chiesi, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline outside the submitted work. CL reports receiving research grants from the European Commission (Sixth & Seventh Programme Frameworks and Horizon 2020), Catalan Society of Family Medicine, and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spanish Ministry of Health). He also reports having had a grant from the Fundació Jordi Gol i Gurina for a research stage at the University of Cardiff in 2013. CR received grants from Instituto Carlos III (Spanish Government) and Plan Nacional sobre drogas (Spanish Government). The other authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of self-reported daily walking times in the 5,969 COPD study patients. Abbreviation: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Self-reported daily walking times according to (A) mMRC, (B) FEV1% predicted, (C) COPD admissions in the previous 12 months, (D) CAT, (E) GOLD A–D groups, (F) BODEx index, and (G) Charlson index of comorbidities. Data are presented as mean values with 95% confidence intervals. Abbreviations: BODEx, body mass index, airway obstruction, dyspnea, exacerbation; CAT, COPD assessment test; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in the first second; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage of patients with self-reported walking time <30 min/day (), between 30 and 60 min/day (), and >60 min/day () according to (A) mMRC, (B) FEV1% predicted, (C) COPD admissions in the previous 12 months, (D) CAT, (E) GOLD A–D groups, (F) BODEx index, and (G) Charlson index of comorbidities. Abbreviations: BODEx, body mass index, airway obstruction, dyspnea, exacerbation; CAT, COPD assessment test; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in the first second; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale.
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