The effect of exercise interventions on quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Abstract

Purpose:The effect of exercise interventions on quality of life in adults with multiple myeloma. Methods: A literature search of 10 sources was performed in June 2022 to identify eligible studies for synthesis. Inclusion criteria: randomised controlled trials comparing the effect of exercise interventions with usual care in adults with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The risk of bias was assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-ofbias tool for randomized trials. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model with inverse variance and 95% confidence intervals. Forest plots were constructed to present pooled data. Results: Five RCTs, which included a total of 519 participants, were selected for inclusion. Four of the five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The mean participant age ranged from 55 to 67 years old. All studies included an aerobic exercise component. Intervention length ranged from 6 weeks to 30 weeks. Meta-analysis of 118 participants showed that exercise interventions had no impact on global quality of life (MD= 2.15, 95% CI: -4.67, 8.97, p=0.54, I 2 =0%). Exercise interventions negatively impacted participant grip strength (MD: -3.69, 95% CI: -7.12, -0.26, p=0.03, I 2 =0%) according to pooled data from 186 participants. Conclusion: Exercise interventions have no positive impact on the quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma. The analysis is limited by a high risk of bias across included studies and low certainty evidence. Further high-quality trials are needed to assess the role of exercise in patients with multiple myeloma.