Effect of intradialytic exercise on quality of life of patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis

Background
Up to 90% of patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) regularly receive hemodialysis (HD) as renal replacement therapy. Patients with ESRD have a diminished physical function, so physical therapy during HD sessions can be a significant part of physical rehabilitation for these patients. The improvement in quality of life (QoL) is regarded as a main target in the management of patients with ESRD.


Aim
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a physical therapy program on the QoL in patients with ESRD on HD.


Patients and methods
This sectional study was conducted on 60 ESRD patients on regular HD who are allocated from the HD unit, Internal Medicine Department of El-Zahraa University Hospital from March 2018 to August 2018. The patients were subjected to anthropometric measurements including weight, height, and BMI; all laboratory variables were recorded. The QoL was assessed using the short-form 36 questionnaire and the score was calculated at the beginning of the study and after 6 months.


Results
There was a statistically significant decrease in blood urea (49.54±15.62 to 33.92±13.89) and plasma creatinine (6.19±1.43 to 4.20±1.95) after 6 months of starting intradialytic exercise in comparison to the baseline. There is statistically significant improvement in the results of some items of the short-form 36 health questionnaire after 6 months from the start of the study.


Conclusion
Exercise program during the intradialytic period can provide a significant improvement of QoL and physical ability of patients with chronic kidney disease.