Twelve weeks of supervised exercise improves self-reported symptom burden and fatigue in chronic kidney disease: a secondary analysis of the ‘ExTra CKD’ trial
posted on 2019-07-01, 10:07authored byTJ Wilkinson, E Watson, D Gould, S Xenophontos, A Clarke, B Vogt, J Viana, A Smith
Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients experience a high symptom burden including fatigue, sleep difficulties, muscle weakness and pain. These symptoms reduce levels of physical function (PF) and activity, and contribute to poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Despite the gathering evidence of positive physiological changes following exercise in CKD, there is limited evidence on its effect on self-reported symptom burden, fatigue, HRQoL and physical activity.
Methods
Thirty-six patients [mean ± SD 61.6 ± 11.8 years, 22 (61%) females, estimated glomerular filtration rate: 25.5 ± 7.8 mL/min/1.73 m2] not requiring renal replacement therapy underwent 12 weeks (3 times/week) of supervised aerobic exercise (AE), or a combination (CE) of AE plus resistance training. Outcomes included self-reported symptom burden, fatigue, HRQoL and physical activity.
Results
Exercise reduced the total number of symptoms reported by 17% and had favourable effects on fatigue in both groups. AE reduced the frequency of ‘itching’, ‘impotence’ and ‘shortness of breath’ symptoms, and the intrusiveness for symptoms of ‘sleep disturbance’, ‘loss of muscular strength/power’, ‘muscle spasm/stiffness’ and ‘restless legs’. The addition of resistance exercise in the CE group saw a reduction in ‘loss of muscular strength/power’. No changes were seen in subjective PF or physical activity levels. AE increased self-efficacy for physical activity.
Conclusions
Supervised exercise had favourable effects on symptom frequency and intrusiveness, including substantial improvements in fatigue. Although the intervention did not improve self-reported physical activity levels, AE increased patients’ self-efficacy for physical activity. These favourable changes in self-reported outcomes support the important role of exercise in CKD.
Funding
This work was gratefully part-funded by the Stoneygate Trust. The research was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR Leicester BRC or the Department of Health. At the time of writing this manuscript, E.L.W. was supported by a Kidney Research UK Post-Doctoral Fellowship. B.P.V. was funded by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), an organization of the Brazilian federal government under the Ministry of Education.
History
Citation
Clinical Kidney Journal, 2018, 12(1), pp. 113–121
Author affiliation
/Organisation
Version
VoR (Version of Record)
Published in
Clinical Kidney Journal
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP) for European Renal Association - European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA)