Breathing-coordinated exercise improves the quality of life in hemodialysis patients.
J Am Soc Nephrol
; 6(5): 1392-400, 1995 Nov.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-8589314
ABSTRACT
Breathing-coordinated exercise is a traditional Chinese exercise. These exercise maneuvers consist of slow diaphragmatic breathing, end-inspiratory pause, and Kegel's exercise. A total of 30 patients were enrolled in this study, with 12 patients as controls, to evaluate its effect on hemodialysis patients. Exercise was performed for 25 to 30 min twice a day for at least 3 months. Results from the exercise group showed a subjective improvement in appetite and physical strength, and an increase in the frequency of bowel movements, in addition to enhanced sexual activity and a significant increase in Karnofsky scores. Six patients in the exercise group underwent bicycle ergometry and demonstrated a stable maximal oxygen consumption, whereas the control group revealed a decline in maximal oxygen consumption. Photoelectric plethysmography and laser-Doppler flowmetry demonstrated a pulsatile enhancement of the peripheral microcirculation. Abdominal sonography revealed an oscillatory change in the diameter of the inferior vena cava. It was concluded that these gentle exercise maneuvers may improve the quality of life in hemodialysis patients, especially weak dialysis patients. The mechanism may be partly related to an improvement in microcirculation.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Quality of Life
/
Breathing Exercises
/
Exercise
/
Renal Dialysis
/
Kidney Diseases
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
Aspects:
Patient_preference
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
J Am Soc Nephrol
Journal subject:
NEFROLOGIA
Year:
1995
Document type:
Article