THE EFFECT OF LIFESTYLE ACTIVITY AND PULMONARY REHABILITATION ON CHRONIC SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) OF DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES (360G-Wellcome-324045_Z_25_Z)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory airway disease characterised by persistent symptoms and largely irreversible airflow limitation. Localised airway inflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiological changes seen in COPD. In addition, COPD is associated with chronic systemic inflammation with adverse consequences for the cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuromuscular systems. Elevated levels of systemic inflammation markers are associated with increased risk of comorbidities and mortality in COPD. Therefore, interventions that reduce systemic inflammation in individuals with COPD may have the potential to delay disease progression, reduce the risk of comorbidity onset or development, and provide mortality protection. In healthy individuals, physical activity and exercise are known to reduce markers of chronic systemic inflammation and inflammatory responses by provoking the release of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines. There is limited data on the effect of a single bout of exercise/exercise training on inflammatory markers in individuals with COPD with no previous comparison between ethnicities. The aim of this project is to; 1) Explore the relationship between physical activity and markers of chronic inflammation 2)Assess the impact of exercise training on markers of chronic inflammation in individuals with COPD of multiple ethnicities