Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has demonstrated efficacy in managing long COVID-19, underscoring the need to refine and tailor PR strategies for optimal patient outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of PR on patients with long COVID-19 and to compare the efficacy of different types...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/17534666251323482 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850222148014047232 |
|---|---|
| author | Shige Li Bing Dai Yusheng Hou Liang Zhang Jie Liu Haijia Hou Dandan Song Shengchen Wang Xiangrui Li Hongwen Zhao Wei Wang Jian Kang Wei Tan |
| author_facet | Shige Li Bing Dai Yusheng Hou Liang Zhang Jie Liu Haijia Hou Dandan Song Shengchen Wang Xiangrui Li Hongwen Zhao Wei Wang Jian Kang Wei Tan |
| author_sort | Shige Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has demonstrated efficacy in managing long COVID-19, underscoring the need to refine and tailor PR strategies for optimal patient outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of PR on patients with long COVID-19 and to compare the efficacy of different types and durations of PR interventions. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources and methods: We systematically searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the effectiveness of PR in long COVID-19 patients published before April 2024. The primary outcomes were physical capacity assessed by the 6-minute walking test (6MWT), lung function measured by forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and fatigue. Secondary outcomes were thirty-second sit-to-stand test (30STST), handgrip strength tests, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), dyspnea, depression, anxiety, perceived effort, and adverse events. Results: A total of 37 studies with 3363 patients were included. Compared to controls, PR improved physical capacity (6MWT, 30STST, handgrip), lung function (FEV1, FVC, MIP, MEP), HRQoL, fatigue, dyspnea, and anxiety but did not reach statistical significance for depression. Subgroup analyses of PR duration indicated that programs of ⩽4 weeks improved 6MWT; those between 4 and 8 weeks significantly improved 6MWT, lung function (FEV1, FVC), HRQoL, and reduced fatigue; and programs over 8 weeks improved HRQoL and reduced fatigue. Exercise type analysis revealed that breathing exercises improved 6MWT, lung function (FEV1, FVC), and HRQoL; multicomponent exercises enhanced 6MWT performance and reduced fatigue; the combination of both types improved 6MWT, FEV1 (L), FVC (%pred), HRQoL, and reduced fatigue. Conclusion: PR improves physical capacity, lung function, and quality of life and alleviates dyspnea, fatigue, and anxiety in long COVID-19 patients. A 4- to 8-week PR program and a combination of both breath exercises and multicomponent training is most effective for managing long-term COVID-19 syndromes. Trial registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42024455008. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2ee53a4bdfca478c8e400eb2324708c0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1753-4666 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-2ee53a4bdfca478c8e400eb2324708c02025-08-20T02:06:27ZengSAGE PublishingTherapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease1753-46662025-03-011910.1177/17534666251323482Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsShige LiBing DaiYusheng HouLiang ZhangJie LiuHaijia HouDandan SongShengchen WangXiangrui LiHongwen ZhaoWei WangJian KangWei TanBackground: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has demonstrated efficacy in managing long COVID-19, underscoring the need to refine and tailor PR strategies for optimal patient outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of PR on patients with long COVID-19 and to compare the efficacy of different types and durations of PR interventions. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources and methods: We systematically searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the effectiveness of PR in long COVID-19 patients published before April 2024. The primary outcomes were physical capacity assessed by the 6-minute walking test (6MWT), lung function measured by forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and fatigue. Secondary outcomes were thirty-second sit-to-stand test (30STST), handgrip strength tests, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), dyspnea, depression, anxiety, perceived effort, and adverse events. Results: A total of 37 studies with 3363 patients were included. Compared to controls, PR improved physical capacity (6MWT, 30STST, handgrip), lung function (FEV1, FVC, MIP, MEP), HRQoL, fatigue, dyspnea, and anxiety but did not reach statistical significance for depression. Subgroup analyses of PR duration indicated that programs of ⩽4 weeks improved 6MWT; those between 4 and 8 weeks significantly improved 6MWT, lung function (FEV1, FVC), HRQoL, and reduced fatigue; and programs over 8 weeks improved HRQoL and reduced fatigue. Exercise type analysis revealed that breathing exercises improved 6MWT, lung function (FEV1, FVC), and HRQoL; multicomponent exercises enhanced 6MWT performance and reduced fatigue; the combination of both types improved 6MWT, FEV1 (L), FVC (%pred), HRQoL, and reduced fatigue. Conclusion: PR improves physical capacity, lung function, and quality of life and alleviates dyspnea, fatigue, and anxiety in long COVID-19 patients. A 4- to 8-week PR program and a combination of both breath exercises and multicomponent training is most effective for managing long-term COVID-19 syndromes. Trial registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42024455008.https://doi.org/10.1177/17534666251323482 |
| spellingShingle | Shige Li Bing Dai Yusheng Hou Liang Zhang Jie Liu Haijia Hou Dandan Song Shengchen Wang Xiangrui Li Hongwen Zhao Wei Wang Jian Kang Wei Tan Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease |
| title | Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_full | Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_fullStr | Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_short | Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_sort | effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long covid 19 a systematic review and meta analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/17534666251323482 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shigeli effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT bingdai effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT yushenghou effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT liangzhang effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT jieliu effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT haijiahou effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT dandansong effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT shengchenwang effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT xiangruili effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT hongwenzhao effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT weiwang effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT jiankang effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials AT weitan effectofpulmonaryrehabilitationforpatientswithlongcovid19asystematicreviewandmetaanalysisofrandomizedcontrolledtrials |