Baseline values in the control and multimodal nutritional rehabilitation groups
| Variable | Control group (N=62) | Rehabilitation group (N=60) |
| Men/women, n/n | 44/18 | 47/13 |
| Age, years* | 65.1 (9.6) | 66.6 (9.6) |
| Underlying respiratory disease | ||
| COPD, n (%) | 49 (79) | 45 (75) |
| Bronchiectasis, n (%) | 5 (8) | 4 (7) |
| Restrictive disorders, n (%) | 5 (8) | 6 (10) |
| Mixed respiratory diseases, n (%) | 3 (5) | 5 (8) |
| Smoking status | ||
| Current, former, never, % | 11, 76, 13 | 8, 80, 12 |
| Home respiratory assistance | ||
| LTOT, n (%) | 40 (65) | 38 (65) |
| LTOT or NIV+LTOT, n (%) | 22 (35) | 22 (35) |
| Pulmonary function and gas exchange | ||
| FEV1, l | 0.76 (0.32) | 0.83 (0.31) |
| FEV1, % predicted | 30.0 (12.0) | 32.6 (13.5) |
| FEV1/FVC | 38.5 (13.2) | 40.3 (13.6) |
| Room air Pao2, kPa | 7.7 (1.3) | 7.7 (1.1) |
| Room air Paco2, kPa | 5.9 (0.9) | 5.8 (1.0) |
| Haemoglobin, g/l | 145.0 (18.2) | 147.1 (15.2) |
| Exercise tolerance | ||
| 6MWD, m | 278 (116) | 295 (138) |
| 6MWD, % predicted | 42.2 (17.5) | 45.6 (21.3) |
| Peak workload on bicycle, W | 37.1 (14.8) | 35.5 (10.9) |
| Endurance time, 55% peak work, min | 8.7 (6.1) | 9.0 (8.3) |
| Quadriceps force, N | 204 (102) | 216 (111) |
| Nutritional and inflammatory status | ||
| BMI, kg/m2 | 21.4 (4.0) | 21.5 (3.8) |
| FFMI, men | 16.8 (2.3) | 15.8 (1.7) |
| FFMI, women | 12.8 (1.1) | 13.6 (1.6) |
| Serum albumin, g/l | 36.8 (5.3) | 37.0 (3.4) |
| Serum transthyretin, mg/l | 215 (66) | 214 (59) |
| Serum CRP, mg/l, median (Q1–Q3) | 7.8 (4.6−12.8) | 5.7 (3.6–13.1) |
| Plasma testosterone | ||
| Men, ng/ml | 3.92 (1.53) | 3.67 (1.38) |
| Women, ng/ml | 0.12 (0.10) | 0.13 (0.15) |
| Bioavailable plasma testosterone | ||
| Men, ng/dl | 131.9 (51.8) | 125.0 (42.6) |
| Women, ng/dl | 2.3 (1.6) | 3.6 (2.9) |
| Plasma oestradiol | ||
| Men, pg/ml | 20.7 (8.8) | 21.9 (13.0) |
| Women, pg/ml | 11.1 (20.2) | 17.7 (34.6) |
| Plasma SHBG | ||
| Men, nmol/l | 50.7 (25.5) | 50.1 (19.8) |
| Women, nmol/l | 86.0 (36.7) | 66.5 (31.0) |
| Plasma LH | ||
| Men, IU/l | 5.8 (5.5) | 4.1 (4.8) |
| Women, IU/l | 22.0 (14.9) | 20.2 (7.4) |
| Plasma FSH | ||
| Men, IU/l | 13.3 (14.1) | 9.8 (8.4) |
| Women, IU/l | 59.1 (30.0) | 64.2 (21.5) |
| Quality of life, CRQ, (20−140)† | ||
| All | 79.5 (17.6) | 74.2 (15.4) |
| Men | 80.4 (16.8) | 74.9 (13.4) |
| Women | 77.3 (19.8) | 71.3 (21.6) |
| Quality of life, MRF, (28−0)‡ | ||
| All | 13.5 (6.3) | 13.4 (5.8) |
| Men | 13.7 (6.5) | 14.3 (5.2) |
| Women | 13.1 (5.9) | 10.2 (7.0) |
↵* Results are expressed as mean (SD) except where indicated otherwise.
↵† Scores for the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) are based on a scale of 20−140, with higher scores indicating better functioning, and normalised from 0 to 100.
↵‡ Scores for the Maugeri Foundation Respiratory Failure Questionnaire (MRF-28) are based on a scale of 28−0, with lower scores indicating better functioning.
BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRP, C-reactive protein; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FFMI, fat-free mass index; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; FVC, forced vital capacity; LH, luteinising hormone; LTOT, long-term oxygen therapy; 6MWD, 6-min walking distance; NIV, non-invasive ventilation; SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin.