Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and rehabilitation

DSER staff: Prof Ioannis Vogiatzis, Dr Alasdair O’Doherty. 

Collaborators: Newcastle Upon-Tyne and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust  

Research in this area focusses on pulmonary rehabilitation, high-intensity interval exercise training in chronic lung and heart diseases, the impact of exercise training on phenotypic and genotypic muscle fibre adaptations, the rate of exercise-induced dynamic hyperinflation and on central hemodynamic responses in individuals with chronic lung disease. Recent developments include the application of physical activity promotion via tele-coaching and tele-rehabilitation modalities.   

 This collection of projects promotes the implementation of clinical exercise trials in patients with chronic lung diseases. The trials are supported by industry (Philips Respironics, GSK), charities (Heart and Lung Transplant patient associations), NIHR (HTA) and the European Commission (Horizon 2020).  

The focus is on enhancing patients exercise tolerance via pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions such as non-invasive ventilation, tele-coaching, physical activity promotion and hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation.  The clinical population participating in the trials includes patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and those on the waiting list for single or double Lung Transplantation.  

The deployment of pulmonary rehabilitation and cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with COPD and PAH is feasible via partnership with the Departments of Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, the Freeman Hospital and the North Tyneside General Hospital.   

Find out more:

Vasilopoulou M, Papaioannou AI, Kaltsakas G, Louvaris Z, Chynkiamis N, Spetsioti S, Kortianou E, Genimata SA, Palamidas A, Kostikas K, Koulouris NG, Vogiatzis I (2017). Home-based maintenance tele-rehabilitation reduces the risk for acute exacerbations of COPD, hospitalisations and emergency department visits. European Respiratory Journal, 25; 49. pii 1602129

Demeyer H, Louvaris Z, Frei A, Rabinovich RA, de Jong C, Gimeno-Santos E, Loeckx M, Buttery SC, Rubio N, Van der Molen T, Hopkinson NS, Vogiatzis I, Puhan MA, Garcia-Aymerich J, Polkey MI, Troosters T (2017).  Physical activity is increased by a 12 week semi-automated telecoaching program in patients with COPD, a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Thorax. 72, 415-423.

Gimeno-Santos E, Raste Y, Demeyer H, Louvaris Z, de Jong C, Rabinovich RA, Hopkinson NS, Polkey MI, Vogiatzis I, Tabberer M, Dobbels F, Ivanoff N, de Boer WI, van der Molen T, Kulich K, Serra I, Basagaña X, Troosters T, Puhan MA, Karlsson N, Garcia-Aymerich J (2015). The PROactive instruments to measure physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. European Respiratory Journal, 46, 988-1000.

Chrysohoou C, Angelis A, Tsitsinakis G, Spetsioti S, Nasis I, Tsiachris D, Rapakoulias P, Pitsavos C, Koulouris NG, Vogiatzis I, Dimitris T (2014). Cardiovascular effects of high-intensity interval aerobic training combined with strength exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. A randomized phase III clinical trial. International Journal of Cardiology 179, 269-274.

Andrianopoulos V, Wouters EF, Pinto-Plata VM, Vanfleteren LE, Bakke PS, Franssen FM, Agusti A, MacNee W, Rennard SI, Tal-Singer R, Vogiatzis I, Vestbo J, Celli BR, Spruit MA (2015). Prognostic value of variables derived from the six-minute walk test in patients with COPD: Results from the ECLIPSE study. Respiratory Medicine, 109, 1138-1146.