Aerobic exercise improves several hemodialysisrelated symptoms for adults on maintenance hemodialysis, according to a paper published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Researchers conducted a systematic review to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on hemodialysis-related symptoms in adults with kidney failure undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. A total of 15 randomized controlled trials met the eligibility criteria. For most symptoms, heterogeneous interventions and outcomes and a moderate-to-high risk for bias precluded metaanalysis. Improvement in symptoms of restless legs syndrome, muscle cramping, and fatigue was seen with aerobic exercise compared with nonexercise controls. In a meta-analysis of depressive symptoms in studies using the Beck Depression Inventory, a greater reduction in the Beck Depression Inventory score was seen with exercise versus controls (mean difference, −7.57). “The review… provides encouraging preliminary data to suggest aerobic exercise has the potential to alleviate many of the most bothersome symptoms,” write the authors of an accompanying editorial.
