Background

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is characterised by reduced functional capacity, dyspnoea and exercise‐induced hypoxia. Pulmonary rehabilitation is often used to improve symptoms, health‐related quality of life and functional status in other chronic lung conditions. There is accumulating evidence for comparable effects of pulmonary rehabilitation in people with ILD. However, further information is needed to clarify the long‐term benefit and to strengthen the rationale for pulmonary rehabilitation to be incorporated into standard clinical management of people with ILD. This review updates the results reported in 2014.

Objectives

To determine whether pulmonary rehabilitation in people with ILD has beneficial effects on exercise capacity, symptoms, quality of life and survival compared with no pulmonary rehabilitation in people with ILD.