Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on patients with interstitial lung disease

Abstract Background The treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) typically adheres to a sequence of therapeutic protocols & accordFtaing to assessment procedures. Efforts should focus on alleviating symptoms, incorporating treatments such as pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and psychosocial support to improve patient well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on symptoms, exercise capacity, and quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease. Methods This Prospective interventional pre-post study was done on 60 ILD patients aged ≥ 18 years old, in both sexes. All patients were subjected to complete history taking, McGill QOL Questionnaire, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, dyspnea assessment using the modified Medical Research Council scale, BMI, six-minute walk test, spirometry, oxygen saturation and ABG, echocardiography, and high-resolution CT chest. Participants underwent a supervised PR program (2 sessions/week for 8 weeks) following ATS/ERS guidelines, including: Health education (20 min) [Medication education, exacerbation review, and rehabilitation importance], exercise training [Warm-up (5–10 min), endurance training, resistance training, respiratory muscle training, and cool-down (5–10 min)], and evaluation of peripheral and respiratory muscle strength. Results Spirometry results showed a significant increase in FVC ( p = 0.04), indicating improved lung capacity. Psychological well-being, as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), improved significantly, with scores decreasing ( p = 0.004). Additionally, the MQOL total score increased markedly ( p < 0.001), reflecting a significant enhancement in perceived quality of life. The categorical distribution of MQOL also showed significant improvement ( p < 0.001). According to Comparison between pre- and post-program measurements showed statistically significant differences in mMRC dyspnea scale, heart rate, and O₂ saturation ( P = 0.001 for all). Conclusions PR in patients with interstitial lung diseases demonstrated significant benefits, including alleviation of dyspnea, improvement of exercise capacity and aerobic performance, enhancement of quality of life and psychological well-being, as well as gains in respiratory mechanics and peripheral muscle strength and endurance.