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The following is a summary of “Elastic tape reduces dyspnea and improves health status in the short term in nonobese COPD males: A randomized controlled trial,” published in the January 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Santos, et al.

The elastic tape (ET) is a novel intervention known to enhance exercise capacity in laboratory settings acutely, yet its impact on daily life remains unclear. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly affects physical activity, dyspnea symptoms, health status, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in affected individuals. For a randomized controlled trial, researchers sought to assess the effects of ET on daily life physical activity (DLPA), dyspnea symptoms, health status, and HRQoL in COPD patients. They sought to evaluate the effects of ET on DLPA, including steps per day and sedentary time, in individuals with COPD. Secondary objectives included assessing the impact of ET on dyspnea symptoms, health status, and HRQoL.

About 50 male participants with moderate to very severe COPD were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (ETG, n = 25) receiving ET applied to the chest wall and abdomen or a control group (CG, n = 25). The intervention period lasted for 14 days. DLPA, dyspnea symptoms (measured by transition dyspnea index, TDI, and modified Medical Research Council, mMRC scale), health status (evaluated using the COPD assessment test, CAT), and HRQoL (assessed by the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire, CRQ) were measured at baseline and on Day 21 post-intervention.

No significant change in DLPA was observed between the two groups. However, the CG exhibited a reduction in step counts after 21 days, while the ETG maintained their step counts. ET was associated with reduced dyspnea symptoms across all TDI domains and on the mMRC scale compared to the CG (P < 0.01). Additionally, the ETG demonstrated improvement in CAT scores compared to the CG, reaching the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) (-4.4 score, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the ETG showed improvement in most CRQ domains, reaching MCID after 21 days.

While ET did not significantly modify DLPA, it effectively reduced dyspnea symptoms and improved health status and HRQoL in nonobese males with moderate to severe COPD in the short term. The novel, cost-effective intervention offered promise in alleviating COPD symptoms and improving overall well-being.

Reference: resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(23)00347-5/abstract