The Effects of Aerobic Exercise Training on Vascular, Cardiac and Cerebral Vascular Function in COPD
Condition: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
MeSH terms: Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The primary cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is smoking, which can lead to
      inflammation in the lungs and blood vessels that can lead to secondary problems such as blood
      vessel disease, high blood pressure and heart disease. Aerobic exercise training has been
      shown to reduce the risk of heart and brain disease; however, it is currently unknown whether
      exercise training can have the same affect in patients with COPD. The aim of this study is to
      investigate how eight weeks of aerobic exercise training improves blood vessel and heart
      function and brain blood flow in patients with COPD.
    

Detailed description: 
      Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a treatable respiratory condition that is
      only partially reversible. The primary cause of COPD is smoking which leads to airway
      inflammation and oxidative damage to the lungs, which has been linked to the development and
      progression of the disease. The inflammation is not isolated to the lungs as patients with
      COPD also have systemic inflammation that has been linked to a number of cardiovascular
      comorbidities such as endothelial dysfunction, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Evidence
      demonstrates that COPD patients have a greater incidence of vascular dysfunction and adverse
      vascular remodeling, which worsens with disease severity. In fact, patients with COPD are at
      35 times greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke than healthy aged
      matched individuals. In healthy individuals and a number of chronic conditions, aerobic
      exercise training is well established to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and
      cerebrovascular disease. The benefits of exercise are likely through improvements in
      endothelial function, systemic inflammation, and cardiac and cerebral vascular function.
      However, whether exercise training can have the same effects in a chronic inflammatory
      condition like COPD has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to determine the
      effectiveness of an 8 week aerobic exercise training program in patient's chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease as determined by improvements in endothelial function, systemic
      inflammation and cardiac and cerebral vascular function.
    

Intervention name(s): Individualized, non-linear aerobic exercise training
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Aerobic exercise performed on lower body stationary ergometer and an upper extremity arm crank. Intensity (50-95% workload maximum) and durations (20-45 min) are fluctuated daily to optimize training stress and adaptation
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: COPD; Exercise Training; Flow-Mediated Dilation; Arterial Stiffness; Echocardiography; Cerebrovascular Physiology