Effects of exercise during dialysis therapy on physical motor function and quality of life

Abstract

Twenty hemodialysis patients underwent 6 months’ exercise therapy. Physical motor function and nutritional assessments were performed before and 3 to 6 months after the start of the intervention. The Holm’s multiple comparison procedure was used for the statistical analyses. The patients’ quality of life (QOL) was evaluated before and after the intervention and compared using the Wilcoxon signed‒rank test, with p‒values of ＜0.05 considered significant. Physical motor function was assessed based on grip strength (non‒shunt limb), knee extension muscle strength, toe grip strength, and abduction muscle strength at 3 months after the intervention. The subjects exhibited improvements in muscle strength and the results of the 30‒second chair stand test and 6‒minute walking test after 3 months, which were maintained after 6 months. No significant changes in nutritional parameters, including the blood hemoglobin concentration, were observed. The QOL evaluation revealed that physical function, mental health, the subjects’ overall view of their health, and vitality increased. It is presumed that the improvement in physical function alleviated daily fatigue and increased the subjects’ motivation to continue being active, resulting in increased levels of daily activity. The abovementioned results suggest that exercise therapy during dialysis improves psychological QOL as well as physical function.