Does a History of Exercise in COPD Patients Affect Functional Status? A Study Using a Lifetime Physical Activity Questionnaire Investigates a Correlation between Exercise and Functional Status as Evidenced by Six-Minute Walk Distance

Recent studies have shown strong associations between chronic exercise and improved spirometric values. Building on these findings, we investigated whether habitual lifetime exercise influences six-minute walk test performance (6MWT) in subjects with at least 10 pack-years smoking history. The 6MWT was chosen for its correlation with performance on activities of daily living and predictive value for inactivity, morbidity and mortality in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) versus spirometric values, which are less adept at predicting functional status. Because COPD is a global cause of disability, therapeutic measures that delay symptom-induced immobility are more cost-effective versus late-stage interventional therapies. Among 49 subjects, we compared lifetime exercise assessed with a validated physical activity questionnaire with six-minute walk distances (6MWD). The American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) recommended exercise levels (30 minutes/day, 1000 kcal/week) were u...