TY - JOUR T1 - Exercise capacity and lobar hyperinflation in patients with COPD JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - P3689 AU - Glenn Leemans AU - Kris Ides AU - Cedric Van Holsbeke AU - Wim Vos AU - Jan De Backer AU - Wilfried De Backer Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3689.abstract N2 - IntroductionReduced exercise capacity in COPD patients can be due to lung hyperinflation. Until recently, this could only be measured by pulmonary function tests (PFT) which are not capable to measure regional lung changes. However, CT based Functional Respiratory Imaging (FRI) is able to quantify hyperinflation on a lobar level. These regional lung changes and their relationship with exercise capacity remained so far unexplored.ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between lobar hyperinflation and exercise capacity.MethodsA retrospective analysis of baseline data on 26 COPD patients was performed. Patients underwent PFT. Exercise capacity was measured by 6 minute walking test. Lobar hyperinflation was measured by FRI. Based on CT, three dimensional models of the lobes were extracted and hyperinflation was calculated at functional residual capacity.ResultsLung hyperinflation by PFT, expressed as the ratio between residual volume and total lung capacity (RV/TLC), is inversely correlated with 6 minute walking distance (6MWD)(Spearman r=-0.591; p=0.001), whereas lobar hyperinflation of only the left upper lobe is correlated with the 6MWD (Spearman r=0.422; p=0.032).ConclusionsFRI is more sensitive to measure the regional changes in the lung than PFT (De Backer, L. et al. ERJ 2012; 40:298-305), however lobar hyperinflation does not contribute to exercise capacity. It seems that exercise capacity is more related to global changes in lung impairment. ER -