Rehabilitation (upper or lower extremity, or respiratory muscle exercise) v control in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease*
| Outcomes at 8 weeks to 6 months | Number of RCTs (n) | Mean effect size (95% CI) | Percentage of control patients with worse outcome (CI)† |
|---|---|---|---|
| *RCTs = randomised controlled trials. CI defined in glossary. | |||
| †Compared with the average patient in the treatment group. | |||
| Exercise capacity | 20 (979) | 0.71 (0.43 to 0.99) | 76% (67 to 84) |
| Shortness of breath | 12 (723) | 0.62 (0.26 to 0.91) | 73% (60 to 82) |