Role of physical exercise in improving pulmonary function: a radiomic perspective (PhD Academy Award)

What did I do?

The primary focus of my PhD research was to investigate the relationship between physical exercise and lung function, with a particular emphasis on imaging radiomic features derived from quantitative CT (qCT). My study aimed to uncover how different levels and intensities of physical exercise influence lung structural and functional parameters, as quantified by advanced radiomic analysis. Specifically, I evaluated the interplay between exercise-related parameters (eg, metabolic equivalent tasks, MET-min/week) and lung texture-based radiomic features, analysing their predictive value in chronic pulmonary disease progression and functional decline in lung capacity (figure 1).

Why did I do it?

Radiomic features have been demonstrated to be powerful predictors of lung diseases and pulmonary function.1–3 At the same time, physical exercise is well established as a key factor in improving lung health through mechanisms such as enhanced VO₂max, improved endothelial function and reduced…