PEP, Timing & Exercise

Vibrating Vest Vs PEP (Vest Vs PEP Study)

This study wanted to find out which was better in terms of Lung Exacerbation and comparing both the Vest and the PEP. 
Patients using HFCWO (The Vest) experienced their next pulmonary exacerbation after starting the treatment earlier than those using PEP (220 days for PEP vs 115 days for HFCWO which was statistically meaningful)
There was no significant results to show that either PEP or the Vest increased lung function.
WINNER - PEP

Does Timing Matter? (Timing of DNAs Study)

No, not really. There is no strong evidence to indicate one timing regimen is better than another, and individuals should discuss their optimal regime with the specialist CF physiotherapist.

Does Exercise Matter? (Study On Exercise With PwCF)

In short, yes!
The study consisted of 12 subjects (6 male, 6 female) with an average age of 13.3 years. During the study they spent an average of 3 hours per week exercising compared to 50 minutes in 2009. The need for IV antibiotics reduced from an average of 60 days in 2009 to 50 days during the study, along with improvements in exercise performance. Significant improvements in quality of life were also seen. On average, lung function was shown to decline in 2009, but a suggestion of improvement was seen in 2010.
A significant reduction in number of days that IV antibiotics were needed from 60 (56-64) in 2009 to 50(44-56) in 2010, along with an improved modified shuttle test distance 735 verses 943.