tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Adv Respir Med
. 2026 Apr 10;94(2):25.
doi: 10.3390/arm94020025.
Effects of Exercise-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Janne Marques Silveira[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ana Paula Midori Nakaishi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Marcos Gontijo da Silva[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Daniele Oliveira Dos Santos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ada Clarice Gastaldi[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background/Objective: A substantial proportion of infected individuals develop persistent symptoms after the acute phase of COVID-19, regardless of initial disease severity. Long COVID (LC) remains a public health challenge characterized by impaired functional exercise capacity (FEC) and quality of life (QoL). We systematically synthesized evidence on the effects of in-person outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (OPR) with individualized and supervised exercise in adults with LC. Methods: Following PROSPERO (CRD42023389365), this study reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational cohort studies (OCSs) published between November 2019 and January 2026 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, PEDro, and EMBASE. Results: Fifteen studies (n = 803) were included. OPR improved FEC (6MWT; MD: 53.72 m, 95% CI 43.69-63.75) and 30″SST (MD: 4.68, 95% CI 3.59-5.77) and reduced exertional dyspnea. RCTs showed benefits in physical (MD: 8.04, 95% CI 3.02-13.05) and mental QoL (MD: 6.60, 95% CI 2.01-11.18) and dyspnea impact, with inconsistent PF findings. Fatigue showed a trend toward improvement but was measured using heterogeneous patient-reported tools in RCTs and OCSs. Conclusions: Supervised PR improves FEC, QoL, and dyspnea in individuals with LC. In patients with fatigue/PEM, systematic assessment and continuous symptom monitoring are essential. High-quality controlled studies are needed to strengthen evidence and clinical guide.
Keywords: physical therapy; post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; rehabilitation; systematic review.
. 2026 Apr 10;94(2):25.
doi: 10.3390/arm94020025.
Effects of Exercise-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Janne Marques Silveira[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ana Paula Midori Nakaishi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Marcos Gontijo da Silva[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Daniele Oliveira Dos Santos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ada Clarice Gastaldi[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42041273
- DOI: 10.3390/arm94020025
Background/Objective: A substantial proportion of infected individuals develop persistent symptoms after the acute phase of COVID-19, regardless of initial disease severity. Long COVID (LC) remains a public health challenge characterized by impaired functional exercise capacity (FEC) and quality of life (QoL). We systematically synthesized evidence on the effects of in-person outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (OPR) with individualized and supervised exercise in adults with LC. Methods: Following PROSPERO (CRD42023389365), this study reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational cohort studies (OCSs) published between November 2019 and January 2026 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, PEDro, and EMBASE. Results: Fifteen studies (n = 803) were included. OPR improved FEC (6MWT; MD: 53.72 m, 95% CI 43.69-63.75) and 30″SST (MD: 4.68, 95% CI 3.59-5.77) and reduced exertional dyspnea. RCTs showed benefits in physical (MD: 8.04, 95% CI 3.02-13.05) and mental QoL (MD: 6.60, 95% CI 2.01-11.18) and dyspnea impact, with inconsistent PF findings. Fatigue showed a trend toward improvement but was measured using heterogeneous patient-reported tools in RCTs and OCSs. Conclusions: Supervised PR improves FEC, QoL, and dyspnea in individuals with LC. In patients with fatigue/PEM, systematic assessment and continuous symptom monitoring are essential. High-quality controlled studies are needed to strengthen evidence and clinical guide.
Keywords: physical therapy; post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; rehabilitation; systematic review.