| Objective: To investigate the effects of abdominal electrical stimulation combined with airway clearance techniques on pulmonary function and inflammatory markers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 52 patients with COPD who met the inclusion criteria were divided into a control group and an observation group, with 26 patients in each group. One patient dropped out from each group, resulting in 25 patients per group. The control group received airway clearance techniques based on conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the observation group received additional abdominal electrical stimulation. Assessments were conducted before treatment, and 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Pulmonary function was evaluated using forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured to assess pulmonary inflammation. Exercise tolerance was evaluated using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and quality of life was assessed using the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results: Before treatment, there were no significant differences between the two groups in pulmonary function indicators, inflammatory markers, 6MWT results and SGRQ scores. After 2 weeks of treatment, FVC, FEV1, PEF and 6MWT significantly increased in both groups compared with baseline (P<0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, these indicators further increased in both groups compared with baseline and 2-week measurements (P<0.05). Moreover, the observation group showed significantly higher values in the above indicators than the control group at both 2 and 4 weeks after treatment (P<0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, serum IL-6, CRP and TNF-α levels, as well as SGRQ scores, significantly decreased in both groups compared with baseline (P<0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, these indicators further decreased in both groups compared with baseline and 2-week measurements (P<0.05), and the observation group exhibited significantly lower values than the control group at both time points (P<0.05). Conclusion: Abdominal electrical stimulation combined with airway clearance techniques can significantly improve pulmonary function, reduce inflammation, and enhance exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with COPD. |
