PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Wytske A. Altenburg
AU  - Mathieu H.G. de Greef
AU  - Linda Bossenbroek
AU  - Bertine M.J. Flokstra-de Blok
AU  - Nick H.T. ten Hacken
AU  - Johan B. Wempe
TI  - Daily physical activity is associated with muscle function, health status and fatigue in COPD
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p2159
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2159.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2159.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Background: Daily physical activity (DPA) level is an increasingly important clinical outcome in COPD research and management. In contrast to exercise capacity, the association of DPA with muscle function, health status and fatigue, has not been investigated extensively.Aim: To investigate if DPA is associated with muscle function, health status and fatigue in mild to very severe COPD patients.Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis we included 84 COPD patients (49 male, GOLD I (n=5), II (n=25), III (n=32), IV (n=22), mean age 59±11 years, FEV1 46±18% pred) who were entering a pulmonary rehabilitation program. DPA was measured with a pedometer (DigiWalker SW-200), muscle force with a handheld dynamometer and muscle endurance with the chair-stand test and the arm-curl test. Health status was assessed with the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS), Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and RAND-36, and fatigue with the Dutch Exertion and Fatigue Scale (DEFS).Results: Mean DPA was 3302±2098 steps/day. Significant Spearman's correlations (p<.05) were demonstrated with: quadriceps force (r=0.249) and endurance (r=0.311), biceps force (r=0.480) and endurance (r=0.355), GARS (r=-0.531), SGRQ activity scale (r=-0.258), RAND-36 physical functioning domain (r=0.504) and vitality domain (r=0.235), and DEFS (r=-0.356).Conclusion: Low DPA associates with low muscle force and endurance, low physical functioning and high fatigue in mild to very severe COPD patients. Whether these variables contribute to the development of a low DPA level in COPD patients should be investigated in longitudinal studies.