The effectiveness of short-term pulmonary rehabilitation program in patients with comorbid asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obesity

The effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has not yet been established in patients with asthma - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap (ACO) depending on their nutritional status. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term PR program in patients with comorbid asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and obesity. We included 40 ACO patients and divided them into 3 groups according to body mass index (BMI) and then subdivided them into PR (n=21) and control (n=19) groups. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT), the Asthma Control Test (ACT), and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRS) were used to evaluate symptoms levels. BODE index (body mass index, forced expiratory volume in one second, dyspnoea, and 6-min walk distance) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation. In addition, spirometry and bioimpedansometry were performed. All measurements were done before and after a 6-month PR program. A significantly lower decline in the BODE index was observed in overweight patients (decreased by 43.6% compared to baseline and lower by 40.7% compared to the control group). The six-minute walking test (6MWT) significantly increased in all groups (p