Exercise Capacity in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis vs. Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Introduction: Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease in which the underlying condition causes permanent damage to the conducting airways. Bronchiectasis is associated with considerable morbidity and poor quality of life. While cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common cause of bronchiectasis in childhood, non-CF bronchiectasis is associated with a wide variety of disorders. CF bronchiectasis patients show reduced daily habitual physical activity and exercise capacity. Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is increasingly gaining importance in clinical medicine and considered the gold standard exercise test for assessing aerobic exercise capacity. The test objectively evaluates exercise physiological functions, may help assess morbidity and predict the outcome and mortality in different clinical circumstances and may serve as a basis for individualized exercise prescription within the limitation of the disease. Unlike CPET in CF, there is a paucity of data on exercise capacity using CPET in non- CF bronchiectasis patients, and on the implications of physical activity on non- CF bronchiectasis morbidity and mortality. Aim: To evaluate and compare exercise capacity in CF and non-CF bronchiectasis patients. Methods: This will be a cross-sectional retrospective/prospective study population. The retrospective study will include data analysis of patients that preformed CPET as part of their clinical evaluation. In the prospective study, patients that are scheduled to perform CPET as part of their clinical evaluation will sign (or legal guardian) informed consent prior to participation. Patients will be recruited from the exercise clinic at the Pediatric Pulmonary Institute at the Rappaport Children's Hospital. Inclusion criteria: 1. Children and adults (age \>7 years, height \>125cm), with CF and non CF bronchiectasis. 2. Completed a maximal CPET test according to accepted criteria; (maximal VO2 \> 80% predicted, maximal heart rate \> 80% predicted, acceptable RER (RER \>