2011 Volume 38 Issue 7 Pages 497-504
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantitate physical activities (PA) of stable elderly patients with COPD in daily life using an activity monitoring and evaluation system. Methods: Twenty-six patients with stable elderly COPD (age: 76.8±6.2 years; % FEV_1: 52.9±26.3%) and age-matched twenty elderly subjects (age: 73.0±4.2 years; % FEV_1: 124.0±22.3%) were participated in this study. Total walking, standing, sitting, lying time and frequency of body change times were measured as PA. PA was assessed for 7 consecutive days using an activity monitoring and evaluation system (A-MES^<TM>; Solid Brains, Inc, Kumamoto, Japan). We analyzed the relationship among PA, bodily function and pulmonary function in these COPD patients. Results: Total walking time and the frequency of stands in stable elderly COPD patients were significantly lower than those of age-matched elderly subjects (p<0.01). Total lying time was significantly longer in these COPD patients (p<0.01). Total walking time in daily life was significantly correlated with 6-min walk distance, quadriceps force and dyspnea (p<0.01). Conclusion: These data suggested that PA were significantly decreased in stable elderly patients with COPD and that measuring of walking and lying time in daily life in COPD patients by an activity monitoring and evaluation system might be a good clinical index of patients condition.
