Benjamin Waschki receives award of the German Respiratory Society (DGP)

The German Respiratory Society (DGP) awards Dr. Benjamin Waschki, pulmonologist at the LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, with the annual prize for clinical research. Thereby, the society of lung physicians honors his work on “physical activity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)” that was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine last year. Prof. Dr. Berthold Jany, President of the DGP, handed the prize in the amount of 10.000 € to Waschki on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 57^th DGP Annual Meeting in Leipzig on March 2nd, 2016.

Waschki’s study explores the connection between physical activity and disease factors in the course of COPD. While earlier studies were restricted to just one examination, Waschki and colleagues monitored their patients for three years. Therefore, they were able to make a statement on the progression of COPD with time.

The main finding of the study is that physical activity worsens substantially in the course of a COPD, independently of the initial severity. Concomitantly, lung function and quality of life of patients decrease together with physical activity while this is cannot be observed for muscle mass and exercise capacity. On the other hand, a constant and low physical activity lead to decreasing physical tolerance and pronounced loss of muscle mass. Benjamin Waschki adds: “For the first time, we were able to verify the relevance of physical activity for the downward spiral we often observe in the clinic.” This finding underlines the importance of daily exercise in order to alleviate the progression of COPD.

The paper resulted from a collaboration between researchers from LungenClinic Grosshansdorf and Pulmonary Research Institute (both DZL site ARCN) and colleagues from the DZL site BREATH in Hannover.

Further Information: Waschki B, Kirsten AM, Holz O, Mueller KC, Schaper M, Sack AL, Meyer T, Rabe KF, Magnussen H, Watz H (2015) Disease Progression and Changes in Physical Activity in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 192: 295-306

 

External link to journal article

 

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