Baseline characteristics
| Whole group n=272 | BR completers n=164 | ||
| CRD n=193 | CHF n=79 | ||
| Gender (male:female) | 99:94 | 54:25 | 86: 78 |
| Age (years) | 68.02±12.3 | 70.6±13.4 | 70.25±10.6 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.7±7.8 | 29.1±6.1 | 28.88±7.3 |
| MRC dyspnoea grade (IQR) | 3 (2–4) | – | 3 (2–4) |
| NYHA classification of heart failure (IQR) | – | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) |
| Pre ISWT (m) | 212.3 (140.2) | 210.2 (126.1) | 225.6 (134.3) |
| Pre ESWT (s) | 186.7 (122.4) | 237.7 (211.6) | 209.7 (142.8) |
| Pre QMVC (kg) | 21.6 (10.7) | 20.8 (7.7) | 21.8 (10.1) |
| Pre HADS – anxiety | 7.5 (4.4) | 6.8 (4.3) | 7.3 (4.3) |
| Pre HADS – depression | 6.6 (3.7) | 6.2 (3.4) | 6.6 (3.6) |
| Pre CRQ/CHQ-SR-D | 2.1 (1.4) | 4.0 (1.4)* | 2.2 (1.5) |
**p<0.05.
.BMI, body mass index ; BR, breathlessness rehabilitation; CHF, chronic heart failure; CRD, chronic respiratory disease; CRQ/CHQ-SR-D, Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire/Chronic Heart Disease Questionnaire – Self Report – Dyspnoea; ESWT, endurance shuttle walking test; HADS-A, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score – anxiety; HADS-D, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score – depression; ISWT, incremental shuttle walking test; kg, kilograms; kg/m2, kilogram per metre squared; m, metres; MRC, Medical Research Council; NYH, New York Heart Association; QMVC, quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction.;