Pulmonary function, functional capacity and quality of life in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Literature review

Abstract

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial, chronic and progressive disease that usually appears with dyspnea and progressive deterioration of exercise tolerance and activities of daily living, compromising psychological well-being and social interaction. Objectives: To select and summarize information about functional capacity response, pulmonary function and health-related quality of life in patients with IPF after being subjected to a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Materials and methods: Literature review from 2000 to 2016, using the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Results: 10 randomized clinical trials were selected. A tendency to a significant increase in the distance traveled in the 6-minute walk test was found. Regarding pulmonary function, results were variable among the studied populations. Quality of life related to health improvement was observed in all patients undergoing rehabilitation, but dyspnea levels showed discordant results. Conclusion: The trials show benefits in terms of functional capacity and health-related quality of life; however, studies are still scarce, done on small populations, and the effects of rehabilitation programs are not sustained 6 months after post-training evaluation.