Effects of a telehealth-supported home-based exercise program on functional capacity, sarcopenia risk, and patient-reported outcomes in non-dialysis stage 4-5 chronic kidney disease.
Büşra Yıldırım Uz, Gökçe Yağmur Güneş Gencer, Feyza Bora
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In 30 seconds
This prospective, parallel-group randomized controlled trial assessed a 12-week telehealth-supported home exercise program in adults aged ≥45 years with non-dialysis stage 4-5 chronic kidney disease. Fifty-four participants were randomized; complete-case analyses included 51. Compared with usual care alone, the exercise group had a greater improvement in 6-minute walk distance (+29.41 ± 35.63 m vs -19.27 ± 33.62 m; P < .001), a difference that remained significant after covariate adjustment. The intervention was also associated with improvements in sarcopenia risk, physical performance, fatigue, mood symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life.
Key findings
- 6-minute walk distance changed by +29.41 ± 35.63 m with exercise versus -19.27 ± 33.62 m with usual care (P < .001).
- The exercise group showed significant improvements in sarcopenia risk and physical performance.
- Fatigue, mood symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life also improved significantly with the intervention.
Why it matters
Advanced non-dialysis CKD can be accompanied by reduced functional capacity and burdensome symptoms. This trial suggests that a home-based program supported remotely may improve walking capacity alongside several patient-reported outcomes, offering evidence for an exercise approach in this population. The findings are relevant to care planning, while the trial’s size and duration warrant caution in interpreting the breadth and persistence of benefit.
What to keep in mind
The trial was small, with complete-case analyses of 51 participants, and assessed outcomes after 12 weeks; longer-term effects are not reported.