Supervised exercise has shown benefits for subjects with asthma, but little is known about the effectiveness of unsupervised physical activity on this population. We investigated the effects of a 12-week unsupervised pedometer-based physical activity program on daily steps and on clinical and psychological parameters of adults with asthma. Clinically stable adults with moderate to severe asthma were encouraged to take daily 30-minute walks and were randomized to pedometer and control groups. The pedometer group received pedometers and individualized daily step targets. Changes in daily steps (average of steps taken during six consecutive days), six-minute walk test (6MWT), health-related quality of life, asthma control and anxiety and depression levels were assessed 12 weeks after intervention and 24-28 weeks after randomization. Thirty-seven participants were recruited and 30 completed the intervention. At 12 weeks, the groups differed significantly in daily steps (adjusted average difference, 2488 steps; 95% confidence interval [CI], 803 to 4172; p = 0.005) and in the 6MWT (adjusted average difference, 21.9 m; 95% CI, 6.6 to 37.3; p = 0.006). These differences were not significant 24-28 weeks after randomization. The program was effective in increasing daily steps of adults with moderate to severe asthma 12 weeks after intervention.

Different factors can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle among hemodialysis (HD) patients, including the period they spend on dialysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate characteristics of physical activities in daily life in this population by using an accurate triaxial accelerometer and to correlate these characteristics with physiological variables. Nineteen HD patients were evaluated using the DynaPort accelerometer and compared to nineteen control individuals, regarding the time spent in different activities and positions of daily life and the number of steps taken. HD patients were more sedentary than control individuals, spending less time walking or standing and spending more time lying down. The sedentary behavior was more pronounced on dialysis days. According to the number of steps taken per day, 47.4% of hemodialysis patients were classified as sedentary against 10.5% in control group. Hemoglobin level, lower extremity muscle strength, and physical functioning of SF-36 questionnaire correlated significantly with the walking time and active time. Looking accurately at the patterns of activity in daily life, HDs patients are more sedentary, especially on dialysis days. These patients should be motivated to enhance the physical activity.

By using an accelerometer, a precise method, this study showed that KTRs are significantly more active in daily life than HD patients, and that daily physical activity increases with time since transplantation.

Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients and are associated with the reduction of physical functioning and quality of life. We evaluated the effects of supervised aerobic exercise training on physical functioning, blood pressure, quality of life, and laboratory data in hemodialysis patients. Fourteen patients were evaluated at the beginning and after 12 weeks of stretching exercises (control phase) and at the end of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training performed during hemodialysis sessions (intervention phase). Patients underwent a 6-min walking test (6MWT), 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, a Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire, and blood sample collections. After the intervention phase, the 6MWT distance increased from 508.7 +/- 91.9 m to 554.9 +/- 105.8 m (P = 0.001), systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased respectively from 150.6 +/- 18.4 mm Hg to 143.5 +/- 14.7 mm Hg and from 94.6 +/- 10.5 mm Hg to 91.4 +/- 9.7 mm Hg (P < 0.05), while hemoglobin levels increased from 10.8 +/- 1.2 g/dL to 11.6 +/- 0.8 g/dL (P < 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant increase in the physical functioning, social functioning, and mental health dimensions of the SF-36. Aerobic exercise training during hemodialysis increased physical functioning, reduced blood pressure levels, and improved the control of anemia and quality of life in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Palavras-chave: Doença renal crônica. Exercício físico. Hemodiálise. Sistema cardiovascular. Qualidade de vida. Keywords:Chronic kidney disease. Exercise training. Hemodialysis. Cardiovascular system. Quality of life. RESUMOPacientes portadores de doença renal crônica (DRC) submetidos a tratamento dialítico apresentam alterações físicas e psicoló-gicas que predispõem ao sedentarismo. Nesta população, a prescrição rotineira de exercícios físicos não é uma prática freqüente, especialmente no nosso país. No entanto, alguns autores têm demonstrado que um programa de exercícios para estes pacientes contribui para o melhor controle da hipertensão arterial, da capacidade funcional, da função cardíaca, da força muscular e, conseqüentemente, da qualidade de vida. Além dos benefícios relacionados ao sistema cardiovascular, a realização do exercício traz benefícios secundários, pois quebra a monotonia do procedimento, melhora aderência e pode aumentar a eficácia da diálise. Na presente revisão, os autores discutem aspectos da realização de exercícios físicos em pacientes portadores de DRC em diálise e apresentam dados iniciais de sua experiência com a aplicação de exercícios supervisionados durante as sessões de hemodiálise. ABSTRACT Physical exercise in dialyzed patientsPatients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis present physical and psychological limitations that induce to a sedentary life stile. The prescription of exercise for this population has not been common, especially in our country. In the last few years though, some authors have shown that exercising for these patients improves hypertension control, cardiac function, muscular strength, functional capacity and, consequently, their quality of life. Besides the benefits related to the cardiovascular system, exercise training during hemodialysis reduces the monotony of the procedure, improves adherence and contributes to the increase of dialysis efficacy. In this review, the authors discuss some aspects of exercise training in patients with CKD on dialysis and present their preliminary data of supervised exercises during hemodialysis sessions. INTRODUÇÃOO número de pacientes com doença renal crônica (DRC) em todo o mundo tem aumentado em proporções alarmantes, ocasionando um importante problema de saúde pública. No Brasil, de 1994 a 2005, o número de pacientes em hemodiálise (HD) e diáli-se peritoneal elevou-se de 24.000 para 65.121(1-2) . Como conseqüência, do número crescente de doentes renais crônicos, os gastos do Ministério da Saúde com a terapia renal substitutiva são de aproximadamente 1,4 bilhão de reais por ano, quantia esta correspondente a cerca de 10% do orçamento global desse ministério (1) .Nessa população, as doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) representam a principal causa de morbidade e de mortalidade. Além disso, contribuem sobremaneira para a diminuição da capacidade funcional, para a baixa tolerância ao exercício e, conseqüentemente, para a dificuldade de realização das atividades da vida diária (3)(4)(5) . Além das DCV, também contribuem ...