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Exercise Capacity and Ventilatory Response During Exercise in COPD Patients With and Without β Blockade

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Abstract

Background

Although β blockade (BB) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) does not show signs of worsening pulmonary function or respiratory symptoms, the effects on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether BB affects exercise capacity, gas exchange, and hemodynamic responses in patients with COPD.

Methods

Twenty-four COPD subjects on BB were matched to 24 COPD subjects without BB according to age, gender, body mass index, and severity of COPD. All subjects underwent resting pulmonary function and symptom-limited CPET.

Results

Comparing COPD patients with and without BB revealed that percent peak oxygen consumption and VE/VCO2 nadir were not significantly different (45 ± 16 vs. 51 ± 23 %, p = 0.30, and 35.1 ± 8.5 vs. 36.2 ± 11.6 %, p = 0.69). Systolic blood pressure and heart rate at peak exercise were significantly decreased in COPD patients with BB (168 ± 16 vs. 185 ± 20 mmHg, and 109 ± 16 vs. 122 ± 14 bpm, respectively, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Exercise capacity and gas exchange remain unaffected in patients with COPD in the presence of BB, although heart rate and blood pressure are lower. These findings imply that BB does not adversely affect functional capacity in patients with COPD.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the VIDDA Foundation.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Wilawan Thirapatarapong

  2. Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, Unit #38, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Wilawan Thirapatarapong, Hilary F. Armstrong & Matthew N. Bartels

Authors
  1. Wilawan Thirapatarapong
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  2. Hilary F. Armstrong
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  3. Matthew N. Bartels
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Correspondence to Matthew N. Bartels.

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Thirapatarapong, W., Armstrong, H.F. & Bartels, M.N. Exercise Capacity and Ventilatory Response During Exercise in COPD Patients With and Without β Blockade. Lung 191, 531–536 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-013-9492-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-013-9492-2

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