Study seems to show a big benefit, and researchers say activity can help lungs stay healthy
MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physical activity could improve survival of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after hospital discharge, according to research published online March 17 in ERJ Open Research.
Marilyn Moy, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues looked at the medical records of 2,370 patients in California who were hospitalized for COPD.
The researchers found that those who did any amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity were 47 percent less likely to die in the 12 months after hospitalization than inactive patients. Low levels of physical activity were associated with a 28 percent reduced risk.
“We know that physical activity can have a positive benefit for people with COPD and these findings confirm that it may reduce the risk of dying following hospitalization,” Moy said in a journal news release.
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