Adapted Physical Activity (APA)

Project objectives

The primary objective is to evaluate, in 100 patients with COPD (grade 1-3), the effects of two types of adapted physical activity programs (resistance vs. resistance + strength) on: respiratory and cardiovascular function parameters, exercise capacity, segmental and respiratory muscle strength, body composition, bone densitometry, macro- and micronutrient intake, plasma cytokine concentrations, endothelial dysfunction, and quality of life.

Secondary objectives:

• identify physical activity protocols to propose to patients suffering from COPD

• improve knowledge of the factors involved in the response to exercise in COPD patients

• evaluate the immunological response to physical exercise.

Start and end date

03/12/2011 - 03/12/2014

Project Manager

Alice Laudisio - role in performing body composition, densitometry, flow-mediated dilation, and cytokine analysis; data collection and statistical analysis

Coordinating institution of the project

Santa Lucia Foundation

Funding source(s).

Ministry of Health, project code: GR-2009-1596137