Abstract
Introduction
COVID mortality is particularly high among patients with comorbidities; this may be due to psychological stress caused by overactivation of the stress axis. The study investigates the effect of home-based physical activity (HBPA) on the stress axis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Material and methods
Forty men aged 55–68 years with stable COPD were randomly divided into study or control groups. The study group (n = 20) received eight-week HBPA, three sessions per week, while the control group (n = 20) did not. The following measurements were taken for both groups: body mass index (BMI), pulmonary function test (PFT), cortisol, interleukin-8 (IL-8), health-related quality of life assessed as total St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, hospital anxiety and depression scale score (HADS), and 6-minute walking test (6MWT).
Results
All variables of the control group showed non-significant improvement. Significant improvements in cortisol (262.15 ± 25.08 vs 219.80 ± 30.68 ng/mL; p < 0.001), IL-8 (15.00 ± 5.64 vs 12.26 ± 5.07 pg/ml; p < 0.001), HADS (7.85 ± 2.56 vs 5.36 ± 2.68 and 8.75 ± 2.46 vs 6.60 ± 2.70; p < 0.001 for depression and anxiety subscales, respectively), SGRQ total score (40.50 ± 11.70 vs 35.90 ± 11.75; p < 0.001), and 6MWT (514.85 ± 22.49 vs 575.90 ± 34.37; p < 0.001) were found in the study group over time. No change was observed for BMI and PFT.
Conclusions
HBPA is a good tool for improving cortisol, IL-8, HADS, SGRQ, and 6MWT level in COPD patients, especially during the COVID pandemic.