Exercise intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness in rheumatoid arthritis patients with high cardiovascular disease risk: a single-arm pilot study

Abstract

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Remotely Supervised Weight Loss and Exercise Training to Improve Rheumatoid Arthritis Cardiovascular Risk: Rationale and Design of the Supervised Weight Loss Plus Exercise Training‐Rheumatoid Arthritis Trial

“…Although exercise prescription for RA was traditionally controversial because of fear that excessive exercise would worsen joint disease, more recent research has shown instead that exercise training for RA is overall safe and confers many health benefits ( 56 , 57 , 58 ). Exercise training programs impact traditional CVD risk factors by improving RA aerobic fitness, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and body composition (ie, increased muscle mass, decreased fat mass) ( 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 ). Exercise training also improves RA inflammatory CVD risk factors.…”

“…Both traditional aerobic/cardio training and resistance/strength training individually improve RA disease activity and systemic inflammation ( 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 ). Moreover, combined aerobic and resistance exercise training programs may potentially improve RA disease activity to a greater extent than either modality alone ( 59 , 63 , 68 ). Our previous work also shows that high‐intensity interval exercise training improves RA disease activity, markers of inflammation (ie, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]), as well as neutrophil migration and monocyte phagocytosis ( 60 ).…”

Overview of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Scientific Understanding of the Disease

“… 89 It improves the cardiorespiratory fitness and disease activity in RA patients with a risk for CVD. 90 , 91 Psychotherapy helps to improve self-confidence and regaining positive attitude to cope with the depression and associated comorbidities in patients. 92 …”