Effects of Home-Based Breathing Exercises in Subjects With COPD

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the effects of home-based breathing exercises on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, dyspnea, and health-related quality of life in patients with COPD.

METHODS: All randomized, controlled trials involving the use of home-based breathing exercises as an intervention in patients with COPD were searched on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, CNKI, and Wangfang Data databases from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the literature that met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS: A total of 13 studies were included, with a total of 998 subjects. The intervention methods consisted of diaphragmatic breathing, yoga breathing, breathing gymnastics, and singing. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with the control group, home-based breathing exercises had significant effects on the percent of predicted FEV₁ (mean difference = 3.26, 95% CI 0.52–5.99, P = .02), FEV₁/FVC (mean difference = 2.84, 95% CI 1.04–4.64, P = .002), maximum inspiratory pressures (mean difference = 20.20, 95% CI 11.78–28.61, P < .001), maximum expiratory pressures (mean difference = 26.35, 95% CI 12.64 to 40.06, P < .001), 6-min walk distance (mean difference = 36.97, 95% CI 25.06–48.89, P < .001), the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mean difference= −0.80, 95% CI −1.06 to −0.55, P < .001), and the St George Respiratory Questionnaire (mean difference= −8.62, 95% CI −13.09 to −4.16, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: As an alternative method of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program, breathing exercises can improve pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, dyspnea, health-related quality of life in patients with COPD.