Assessment of the Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) and Aerobic Training on the Quality of Life of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and aerobic exercise on health-related quality of life of patients with COPD. This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 patients with moderate to severe COPD, who were referred to Imam Hossein Hospital of Tehran, Iran in 2016. The patients were randomly assigned to four groups and treated for eight weeks. Group 1 (n=16) participated in 16 sessions of IMT (15 minutes per session), group 2 (n=14) performed aerobic exercises twice a week (40 minutes per session), group 3 (n=15) performed IMT and aerobic exercises, and group 4 (n=15) received no intervention, except for routine treatments (control). Quality of life was evaluated based on the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) at baseline, week 4, and week 8 after the intervention. After eight weeks, all four groups experienced a significant improvement in their quality of life (P