The Impact of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Quality of Life in Lung Transplant Candidates: A Systematic Review

Background: Patients awaiting or who have undergone lung transplantation often suffer from reduced quality of life (QoL) and limited exercise capacity. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a key intervention to address these issues, but a comprehensive synthesis of its specific effects on this population is lacking. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PR on QoL and exercise capacity in lung transplant candidates and recipients. Methods: This systematic review that was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search used ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Lung Transplantation, Quality of Life and COPD through studies published from 2014 to 2024. Data were extracted using a TIDieR-based form, and risk of bias was assessed using the CASP and JBI tools. Six studies (four randomized controlled trials and two quasi-experimental) with a total of 315 patients were included. Conclusion: The included studies consistently demonstrated that PR significantly improved physical health-related QoL and exercise capacity. Improvements were most notable in physical functioning, vitality, and general health domains. However, the impact on mental health was more variable. Longer program durations appeared to be associated with greater QoL improvements. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective intervention for enhancing the physical health and exercise capacity of lung transplant patients. Our findings emphasized the need for standardized, long-term programs to maximize these benefits. Future research should focus on optimizing PR protocols and determining the ideal duration to achieve more consistent improvements in mental health.