Efecto de un programa de ejercicio físico y educación en pacientes con enfermedades pulmonares intersticiales difusas

Abstract

Introduction: diffuse interstitial lung diseases (DILD) are a group of diseases that compromise the alveolar and capillary basement membranes, that is, the anatomical interstitium. Exercise and education are recommended intervention strategies for patients regardless of the cause of DILD. Objective: to establish the effects of a physical exercise and education program in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other DILD on dyspnea, functional aerobic capacity, anxiety/depression and health-related quality of life. Material and methods: quasi-experimental study, all patients were linked for convenience and signed the informed consent. They were divided into two groups: patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other DILD, evaluated before and after the exercise and education program in clinical variables, functional capacity, anxiety/depression and quality of life. Results: 68 patients were linked, 30 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 36 with other DILD. Both groups presented improvements in the distance traveled in the 6-minute walk test, dyspnea and quality of life p-value ≤ 0.05. The idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis group presented improvements in anxiety and depression and the other DILD group in anxiety. Conclusion: all patients present significant improvements in functional capacity, dyspnea, anxiety and quality of life, the group of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis additionally improves in depression, being the variable with significant changes between the groups.