Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35203084›Full record

Observational studyRespiration; international review of thoracic diseases2022

Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Long COVID Improves Exercise Capacity, Functional Status, Dyspnea, Fatigue, and Quality of Life.

Stephan Nopp, Florian Moik, Frederikus A Klok, Dietlinde Gattinger, Milos Petrovic, Karin Vonbank, Andreas R Koczulla, Cihan Ay, Ralf Harun Zwick

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05597774 (Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training Combined With an Exercise Training Program in Individuals With Long-term Post-COVID-19 Symptoms), which is not on this map. Cited by 135 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
135citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05597774 nacompletednot on this map

Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training Combined With an Exercise Training Program in Individuals With Long-term Post-COVID-19 Symptoms

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversidad Complutense de MadridRan2022 to 2023Enrolled64ConditionsCovid19, Post-acute COVID-19 SyndromeArmsInspiratory + expiratory muscle training group, Inspiratory + expiratory muscle training sham group, Exercise training program
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

135 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Definitions and symptoms of the post-COVID syndrome: an updated systematic umbrella review.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Guideline
  5. Pooled it
  6. Cost-Effectiveness of a Personalised Self-Management Intervention for People Living With Long Covid: The LISTEN Randomised Controlled Trial.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
    Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Article
  16. Observational
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Incentive Spirometer in COVID-19: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026
    Review
  20. Article

75 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Stephan NoppClinical Division of Haematology and Haemostaseology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Florian MoikClinical Division of Haematology and Haemostaseology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Frederikus A KlokDepartment of Medicine - Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Dietlinde GattingerOutpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Therme Wien Med, Vienna, Austria.
Milos PetrovicOutpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Therme Wien Med, Vienna, Austria.
Karin VonbankClinical Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Andreas R KoczullaDepartment of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Cihan AyClinical Division of Haematology and Haemostaseology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Ralf Harun ZwickOutpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Therme Wien Med, Vienna, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 survivors face the risk of long-term sequelae including fatigue, breathlessness, and functional limitations. Pulmonary rehabilitation has been recommended, although formal studies quantifying the effect of rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients are lacking.

methodsWe conducted a prospective observational cohort study including consecutive patients admitted to an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation center due to persistent symptoms after COVID-19. The primary endpoint was change in 6-min walk distance (6MWD) after undergoing a 6-week interdisciplinary individualized pulmonary rehabilitation program. Secondary endpoints included change in the post-COVID-19 functional status (PCFS) scale, Borg dyspnea scale, Fatigue Assessment Scale, and quality of life. Further, changes in pulmonary function tests were explored.

resultsOf 64 patients undergoing rehabilitation, 58 patients (mean age 47 years, 43% women, 38% severe/critical COVID-19) were included in the per-protocol-analysis. At baseline (i.e., in mean 4.4 months after infection onset), mean 6MWD was 584.1 m (±95.0), and functional impairment was graded in median at 2 (IQR, 2-3) on the PCFS. On average, patients improved their 6MWD by 62.9 m (±48.2, p < 0.001) and reported an improvement of 1 grade on the PCFS scale. Accordingly, we observed significant improvements across secondary endpoints including presence of dyspnea (p < 0.001), fatigue (p < 0.001), and quality of life (p < 0.001). Also, pulmonary function parameters (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, lung diffusion capacity, inspiratory muscle pressure) significantly increased during rehabilitation.

conclusionIn patients with long COVID, exercise capacity, functional status, dyspnea, fatigue, and quality of life improved after 6 weeks of personalized interdisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation. Future studies are needed to establish the optimal protocol, duration, and long-term benefits as well as cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation.

Indexed as

COVID-19Pulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveDyspneaExercise ToleranceFatigueFemaleFunctional StatusHumansMaleMiddle AgedOutpatientsPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeProspective StudiesQuality of LifeCoronavirus disease 2019DyspneaExercise trainingLong coronavirus diseaseOutpatientPulmonary rehabilitationQuality of lifeSequelaeSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Identifiers

PMID35203084
PMCPMC9059007

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.