Patients with COPD show a large divergency that may affect the way they respond to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), according to a study published in Respiratory Medicine. Those who have the greatest probability of being non-responders to PR are older, with more severe disease, severe oxygen desaturation, and shortness of breath, limited 6- minute walking distance (6MWD) response, and require long-term oxygen therapy. Samuel Verges and colleagues identified clinical phenotypes of patients with COPD and evaluated their respective 6MWD response to in-patient PR. From 835 patients, four clusters were identified, with the most likely cluster to be non-responders consisting of older patients who were very slow walkers and oxygen dependent. “Identification of homogeneous clusters of patients who may or may not respond to PR is important to personalize patient care,” the study authors wrote. “These results may improve patient phenotyping in clinical practice and allow individualization of therapy.”
