Attenuation of exertional desaturation and preference for interval exercise compared to continuous exercise in people with interstitial lung disease (Letter)

Abstract

To the Editors: Dyspnoea, fatigue and poor exercise tolerance remain a major burden for people with interstitial lung disease (ILD).1-3 Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has shown to positively impact these aspects.3 However, in our earlier randomized controlled trial of PR in ILD, less than half of the participants who undertook PR achieved clinically meaningful improvements in exercise capacity.4, 5 The traditional PR method of moderate-intensity continuous training may not represent the optimal exercise stimuli for people with ILD. Some people with ILD may not be able to tolerate continuous training, due to excessive dyspnoea or desaturation, resulting in a reduced training stimulus and thus limiting the benefits that can be gained from PR.