A longitudinal study on the correlation between symptom clusters and disease-specific health status in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during pulmonary rehabilitation

The findings of this study demonstrate that the evolution of symptom clusters in older COPD patients during pulmonary rehabilitation follows a distinct temporal pattern: progressing from a predominance of respiratory-metabolic symptoms, to the prominence of post-exertional malaise, and finally solidifying with psychosocial symptoms as the core manifestation. The primary impact of symptom clusters on health status also shifts across rehabilitation stages. From a public health perspective, our results provide a rationale for integrating symptom cluster assessments into community-based geriatric care and long-term support systems. This approach is vital for promoting healthy aging, as it enables proactive interventions tailored to the evolving needs of older adults with COPD, thereby optimizing resource allocation and improving the sustainability of care for this large patient population.