Clinical utility of gait and walking parameters in COPD, a scoping review

Mobility (i.e. the ability to move) is a key contributor to well-being. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), research has focused on physical activity (PA) but other characteristics of gait and walking, such as speed and variability, might also be relevant.

We aimed to map the existing evidence on gait and walking parameters (GaWPs), including but not limited to PA, in patients with COPD.

As part of the Mobilise-D project (www.modilise-d.eu), we conducted a scoping review of seven databases and grey literature. Teams of two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted data.

Out of 19,688 studies, 223 fulfilled inclusion criteria. They reported 296 records of 13 different GaWPs (Table 1), with daily step count and gait speed being the most frequent ones. 47 studies explored the difference in GaWPs between COPD patients and healthy individuals (discriminant ability); 147 explored the associations between GaWPs and clinically relevant COPD characteristics (construct validity); 14 looked at the association between GaWPs and clinical outcomes (prognostic value); and 46 looked GaWPs used as endpoints in interventional studies (responsiveness).

Although daily step count and gait speed are the most frequently used GaWPs in COPD research, there is increasing evidence about other mobility parameters, suggesting a need to further investigate their clinical utility.