2019 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 224-232
[Object] Some skeletal muscles communicate with other organs by secreting proteins and peptides called myokines. Some myokines inhibit inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis（RA）. We investigate the efficacy of a low intensity exercise program on RA. [Methods] Fifteen patients with RA were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were receipt of a stable dose of biologics, Janus kinase inhibitory, and conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs more than 3 months prior to the first exercise, and corticosteroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs more than one month prior to the first exercise. The exercise circuits consisted of 6 different low extremity exercises intended to improve arthritis. Within the exercise circuits, each exercise was repeated 8-12 times at less than 50% of maximum muscle strength. The exercise circuits were performed 3 times a week for 2 months. [Results] Mean age was 69.9 years. Nine patients（60%）used biologics. Mean Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using ESR（DAS28-ESR）was 3.86 at base line and 3.47 at 2 months, mean DAS28-CRP 3.46 and 3.03, mean Simplified Disease Activity Index 15.01 and 11.45, and mean Clinical Disease Activity Index 14.21 and 10.88, mean tender joint count 11.0 and 5.8, and mean swelling joint count 5.5 and 3.7, respectively. All indices improved significantly at 2 months compared to baseline. However, mean ESR（mm/hr）, 19.2 at base line and 19.0 at 2 months, did not change, and mean CRP（mg/dl）, 0.807 and 0.573 respectively, decreased numerically but not significantly. [Conclusions] It was suggested that low intensity exercise was efficacious against arthritis in patients with RA.
