ABSTRACT

This chapter provides a detailed review of the aetiology, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of the range of common chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). It outlines best practice in the provision and content of pulmonary rehabilitation. CRD can be considered an umbrella term for a number of long-term conditions caused by a variety of underlying lung pathologies. Globally chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the most prevalent form of chronic respiratory disease, is the fourth most common cause of death, but also imposes a substantial burden of disability for those living with the disease. Physical activity limitation is one of the hallmarks of chronic respiratory disease, with significant consequences for patients, their families, and wider society. In diseases where the underlying pulmonary pathology is frequently irreversible, exercise therapies such as pulmonary rehabilitation offer major benefits to this patient population, both in terms of symptom reduction and preservation of longer-term health.