Improving physical functioning: time to be a part of routine care.
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Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena↗
Biomedical subjects
Patricia Painter
Publications and source records attributed to Patricia Painter.
Why exercise can make a difference.
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Evidence-Based Medicine↗
Physical functioning in end-stage renal disease patients: update 2005.
Physical functioning in patients with end-stage renal disease treated with dialysis is low, whether measured using objective laboratory measures, physical performance testing, or self-reported measures. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), self-reported functioning measures, and physical activity levels are independent predictors of mortality in these patients. Cardiovascular exercise training studies result in improvements in VO2peak, physical performance tests, and self-reported functioning. Resistance exercise training improves muscle strength. Exercise training may have positive benefits on other factors that are important clinical issues in dialysis patients, including cardiovascular risk profile, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Endothelial function, a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, has been shown to improve with exercise training in dialysis patients. Although there have been numerous recent studies on benefits of exercise, few dialysis clinics or nephrologists provide encouragement or programs as a part of their routine care of their patients. There are many national guidelines that include exercise or increasing physical activity as a part of the treatment of many conditions that are relevant in dialysis patients, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and high cardiovascular disease risk. The nephrology community continues to state concern for outcomes; however, a simple, low-tech intervention that has many benefits to their patients (i.e., encouragement, recommendations, and opportunity for increasing physical activity) has not been adopted as part of the standard care. Adoption of routine counseling and encouragement for physical activity has the potential to improve outcomes, improve physical functioning, and optimize quality of life and overall health of dialysis patients.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Exercise capacity and muscle structure in kidney recipient and twin donor.
Exercise capacity and muscle function are known to be abnormal in patients with renal disease. We present a case study in which we studied a kidney transplant recipient who received a kidney from his identical twin. Testing included maximal exercise testing with measurement of oxygen uptake (VO2max), isokinetic muscle function testing, body composition analysis using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) imaging and quality of life using The Medical Outcomes Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire. Muscle biopsies were also analysed for fibre composition and size and ultrastructure. We found that the twin recipient had lower values for VO2max, muscle strength, muscle mass and quality of life scales (physical domains) compared with the twin donor. Muscle fibre composition was identical in the twins, however, muscle fibres size was reduced in the twin donor in Type I, and Type IIA fibre types. The twin recipient also showed lower fibre density (volume percentage) and greater intrafibrillar space than the donor. The twins were both sedentary, thus we conclude that the low exercise capacity and abnormalities observed in the recipient are characteristics of renal failure, and not the result of physical deconditioning, nor was it related to prednisone therapy, which may negatively affect muscle function.
Absorptiometry, Photon↗
Exercise for patients with chronic disease: physician responsibility.
Patients with chronic disease typically become severely deconditioned, which often leads to physical disability. Every effort should be made to recommend and encourage patients to adopt and maintain a program of physical activity. Although there are no specific exercise guidelines for many chronic conditions, patients should be instructed to start a routine of physical activity that is gradual for most (if not all) days of the week, working up to 30 minutes per session at an exertion level that is easily tolerated. It is critical that assessment of physical functioning and recommendations for physical activity be included as a part of routine medical care. In doing so, we change the expectations of patients and family members, and work toward optimizing physical functioning and quality of life.
Cardiovascular Diseases↗
Effects of exercise training plus normalization of hematocrit on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life.
The limitation to exercise capacity in hemodialysis patients has been attributed to anemia. We report the effects of normalization of hematocrit levels by using r-hu-recombinant erythropoietin and exercise training on exercise capacity and self-reported physical functioning in hemodialysis patients. Sixty-five patients were randomized into 1 of 4 groups: usual hematocrit (30%-33%) with no exercise training (UH); usual hematocrit (30%-33%) plus exercise training (UHX); normalized hematocrit (40%-42%) with no exercise training (NH); and normalized hematocrit (40%-42%) plus exercise training (NHX). Treadmill exercise testing was conducted at baseline and at 5 months after the initiation of the interventions. Analysis was performed on the data collapsed for 48 patients who met the criteria for hematocrit and exercise adherence and completed both baseline and post intervention (5.6 +/- 1.6 months) testing. Significant effects of exercise were found in peak oxygen uptake measurements (P = 0.03) and in self-reported physical functioning as measured by the Short Form-36 questionnaire (P = 0.01). There was a significant effect of hematocrit on the General Health scale on the SF-36 (P = 0.03). The changes in peak oxygen uptake with exercise training were small and levels remained lower than age-predicted values at the end of the study. These results indicate that there are other physiologic limitations to exercise capacity that are not overcome by exercise training or normalization of hematocrit. The effects of exercise training on self-reported physical functioning may be of clinical importance because these scores have been shown to be highly predictive of outcomes such as hospitalizations and mortality in hemodialysis patients.
Adult↗
Roles of nutrition and physical activity in musculoskeletal complications before and after liver transplantation.
End-stage liver disease (ESLD) affects thousands of people in the United States annually. Improvements in survival after liver transplantation have broadened the indications for its use as a proven therapy for ESLD, rapidly increasing the number of transplant candidates. However, the number of patients awaiting transplantation far surpasses the donor supply, resulting in lengthy waiting times. During this wait, these patients experience progressive disease-related decompensation that is often accompanied by malnutrition and reduced physical activity. This chronic disease triad can have profound effects on musculoskeletal complications, such as cachexia and osteoporosis. In the absence of proper interventional strategies before transplantation, these complications can intensify after the transplantation, as a result of continued poor nutrition intake, bed rest, and pharmacotherapies. This article discusses levels of physical functioning and nutrition status in both the pre-and post-transplant populations, the risks associated with current levels, and the roles that diet and activity therapies can have to improve outcomes.
Cachexia↗
Determinants of exercise encouragement practices in hemodialysis staff.
The objective of this study was to survey patient care staff to (a) determine their perceived skills for and attitudes toward assessing physical functioning and encouraging exercise, (b) assess practice related to assessment of physical functioning and exercise encouragement, and (c) identify factors that predict encouragement of exercise in patient care staff. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study in which questionnaires were completed by 100 patient care staff (RN, LVN, RD, SW, and patient care technicians) in five freestanding hemodialysis clinics. Frequency responses were calculated for the items of interest, and multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictor variables of exercise encouragement practice (i.e., frequency of encouragement of exercise to patients). Four variables significantly predicted exercise encouragement activity: job position requiring professional training, the perception that patients lacked motivation to exercise, the perception that the staff member did not have skills to motivate patients to exercise, and the perception that it was not a part of the job responsibility.
Attitude of Health Personnel↗