TY - JOUR T1 - Long-term Exercise After Pulmonary Rehabilitation (LEAP): a pilot randomised controlled trial of Tai Chi in COPD JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00025-2021 SP - 00025-2021 AU - Marilyn L. Moy AU - Peter M. Wayne AU - Daniel Litrownik AU - Douglas Beach AU - Elizabeth S. Klings AU - Roger B. Davis AU - Adlin Pinheiro AU - Gloria Y. Yeh Y1 - 2021/01/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/04/29/23120541.00025-2021.abstract N2 - Mind-body modalities are promising strategies to maintain the benefits gained after completion of conventional pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in persons with COPD.In this pilot randomised controlled study, we examined Tai Chi in persons with COPD after completing PR. Participants were randomised 2:2:1 to Tai Chi (TC), usual care (UC), or group walking (GW) for 24 weeks. We assessed feasibility; primary outcome was exercise capacity measured by 6-min walk test (6 MWT) distance at 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life measured by Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), dyspnea, mood, stress, social support, self-efficacy, physical activity, and exercise engagement. Effect size estimates and estimates from generalised estimating equations were calculated.Ninety-one persons (36 TC, 37 UC, 18 GW) were enrolled, with age 69±6 years, 59% male, and FEV1% predicted 48±19. There was no difference in adherence and adverse events between groups. There was a small between-group effect size (ES=0.25) in change in 6 MWT distance favoring TC compared to UC; 24-week comparison was nonsignificant (p=0.10). There were no differences in secondary outcomes. In exploratory analyses, there was a greater percentage of participants in TC who improved 6 MWT distance at 24 weeks, compared to UC, 64% versus 39%, p=0.05. There were higher percentages of participants in TC who improved CRQ Fatigue (59% versus 31%, p=0.02) and CRQ Mastery (47% versus 20%, p=0.01) domain scores, compared to UC. For GW, there were no differences compared with TC.Tai Chi may be a feasible option to maintain the benefits gained after completing conventional PR.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. Moy reports grants from NIH, during the conduct of the study.Conflict of interest: P.M. Wayne is the founder and sole owner of the Tree of Life Tai Chi Center. His interests were reviewed and are managed by the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Partners HealthCare in accordance with their conflict of interest policy.Conflict of interest: Dr. Litrownik reports grants from NIH, during the conduct of the study.Conflict of interest: Douglas Beach.Conflict of interest: Dr. Klings has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Davis reports grants from NIH, during the conduct of the study.Conflict of interest: Dr. Pinheiro has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Yeh reports grants from NIH, during the conduct of the study. ER -