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Current GOLD guidelines state that pulmonary rehabilitation is associated with fewer chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalizations; they note that it is the most effective strategy to improve shortness of breath, exercise capacity, and exercise tolerance and that it is essential treatment for all patients with clinically significant symptoms or with prior exacerbations. Researchers used Medicare claims data to retrospectively evaluate whether pulmonary rehabilitation after a COPD exacerbation is associated with lower 1-year mortality.
Among almost 200,000 patients who were admitted for COPD exacerbations in 2014, just 2700 started pulmonary rehabilitation within 90 days of discharge. One-year all-cause mortality was significa…