Outcomes of pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD in the elderly: A comparative study

The prevalence of COPD in Ireland is about 400,000 and is the third most common cause of death worldwide. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been proven to be effective in optimising functional status and improving health-related quality of life in COPD patients. However, there is limited data on the effectiveness of PR in elderly COPD patients. The aim was to compare the efficacy and level of improvement from PR in patients with COPD above and below the age of 70. Retrospective review was performed on all patients attending an 8 week, 16 sessions, PR programme between August 2008 and July 2014. Patients were divided into two groups; ≥70years and