Interventions to improve physical activity in patients with cystic fibrosis: a systematic review

As cystic fibrosis (CF) care increasingly encompasses long-term health, understanding how interventions influence physical activity has become an important research question. At ERS 2026 in Barcelona, Bertus Lavaert, a PhD researcher at Ghent University with a background in rehabilitation sciences and global health, presented a poster reviewing the available evidence on physical activity interventions in adults with CF.

The review included 29 studies, representing 26 original samples, and examined both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions reporting physical activity as an outcome. Most studies evaluated non-pharmacological approaches, including exercise interventions, interventions specifically targeting physical activity, and combinations of both. Across these categories, the majority reported no change in physical activity. The exercise programs used in the different studies primarily aimed at improving physical fitness or functioning rather than physical activity behavior itself, potentially contributing to this finding.

Interpretation remains challenging because of substantial heterogeneity in study designs and methods used to assess physical activity, while several studies were pilots or feasibility trials. The findings therefore underline the need for larger randomized controlled trials that specifically target physical activity behavior and use approaches that enable more consistent assessment across studies.