Trial reportBMJ open respiratory research2025
Improved functional exercise capacity after primary care pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with long COVID (PuRe-COVID): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in BMJ open respiratory research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05244044 (Changes in Functional Exercise Capacity After PUlmonary REhabilitation in Primary Care), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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.
Changes in Functional Exercise Capacity After PUlmonary REhabilitation in Primary Care: a Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter, Pragmatic Trial in 134 Patients With Long COVID (PuRe-COVID)
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effectiveness of physical, psychological, and alternative interventions for post-COVID-19 condition: a systematic review.Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of incentive spirometer added to standard rehabilitation in previously hospitalized adults with post-COVID-19 condition: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2026Trial
- Post-COVID Respiratory Sequelae in COPD: Mucus Plugging, Infectious Complications, and Risk-Stratified Follow-Up.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Increased physical performance after personalised physiotherapy and nutritional counselling in adults with post-COVID-19 condition: a feasibility randomised trial.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Effects of an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program on exercise capacity, muscle fatigue, dyspnea, and functional status in post-COVID-19 patients: non-randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves physical status and symptoms in patients with long COVID, but access to specialised hospital-based centres is challenging. This trial studied the effect of primary care PR on functional exercise capacity and symptoms in patients with long COVID.
methodsIn this pragmatic randomised controlled trial (PuRe-COVID), patients with long COVID were randomised to a 12-week stepwise PR programme in primary care, or to a control group without PR. The primary end point was change in 6 min walk distance (6MWD) from baseline to 12 weeks. Additional outcomes, measured at 6, 12, 24 and 36 weeks, included patient-reported outcomes, physical activity, maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory pressures and hand grip strength.
resultsIn total, 76 patients were randomised (PR/control group (n=39/37); mean age 49±13 years). The change in 6MWD at 12 weeks was estimated to be +39 m in the PR group compared with the control group (95% CI (18 to 59), p<0.001). Furthermore, a decrease in Checklist Individual Strength (CIS)-fatigue was found for the PR group (-6 points; 95% CI (-10 to -2), p=0.011). At 12 weeks, patients in the intervention group were more likely to have a clinically significant improvement in 6MWD (OR 5.7, 95% CI (2.0 to 16.1), p=0.001), CIS-fatigue (OR 3.8, 95% CI (1.2 to 12.0), p=0.020), MIP (OR 3.7, 95% CI (1.05 to 12.7), p=0.036) and modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea score (OR 5.2, 95% CI (1.6 to 16.4), p=0.003).
conclusionsPrimary care stepwise individual PR may improve functional exercise capacity, fatigue and dyspnoea in patients with long COVID. It therefore may be a promising treatment option in primary care for patients with long COVID experiencing fatigue and/or respiratory symptoms. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05244044.
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