German researchers have discovered that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) may help reduce airway inflammation in certain asthma patients. PR is a non-pharmacological intervention traditionally used to improve exercise capacity and asthma control. Results from their study, “Pulmonary Rehabilitation Reduces Airway Inflammation in Asthma Patients With High FeNO Levels,” were recently published in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy.
According to the study, PR significantly lowered levels of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) — a biomarker of type 2 airway inflammation — in patients with high baseline FeNO levels. The prospective study, conducted at the German hospital Schön Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, involved 62 asthma patients undergoing a three-week inpatient PR program. Participants were grouped by initial FeNO levels. Although asthma control and exercise capacity improved across all groups, only patients with high FeNO experienced a marked reduction in airway inflammation, with FeNO levels dropping by 40%.
According to researchers, this is the first study to demonstrate that PR can exert an anti-inflammatory effect in asthma patients with pronounced eosinophilic inflammation. More importantly, they said, these improvements occurred independently of medication changes, suggesting PR may complement pharmacological therapy.
Although researchers said further randomized trials are needed to confirm long-term effects and underlying mechanisms, these early findings could reshape asthma management strategies, particularly for patients who continue to exhibit elevated FeNO despite optimized medication.
