Kidney Transplant Patients Urged to Keep Fit to Survive

[okarol]

Kidney Transplant Patients Urged to Keep Fit to Survive

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise may help kidney transplant patients live longer, according to a new study.

Dutch researchers assessed the health of 540 kidney transplant recipients between 2001 and 2003 and monitored their physical activity levels until 2007. The investigators found that 260 (48%) of the patients did not meet guidelines for minimum requirements of physical activity and 79 (14.6%) were completely inactive.

During the study period, there were 81 deaths among the patients, including 37 heart-related deaths. The death rate was higher among those who participated in lower levels of physical activity, the study authors found.

According to the report, released online March 3 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, cardiovascular deaths occurred in 11.7% of inactive patients, 7.2% of moderately active patients and 1.7% of active patients. The rates of death from any cause were 24.4% in inactive patients, 15% in moderately active patients and 5.6% in active patients.

The association between low levels of physical activity and increased risk of death was not substantially affected when the researchers adjusted for factors such as heart health, kidney function, muscle mass, diabetes and smoking.

Looking after their heart is particularly important for kidney transplant patients, who are four to six times more likely to die from cardiovascular causes than people in the general population, Dorien Zelle, of University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, and her colleagues noted in a news release from the American Society of Nephrology.

-- Robert Preidt

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=139323

[monrein]

Well, I'm convinced...going out for another 10 kilometer walk this afternoon.

I've personally experienced the extreme benefits of both exercise AND eating healthy foods over the many years since I started on D.   

[Sugarlump]

Good job I've got a dog then!!! to make me walk each day.
I'm up to 2 miles a day, would that be considered moderate?

[RichardMEL]

Yeah it's a great point that. they always talk about "moderate" exercise, yet the only indication you usually get is "30 minutes a day" - so if it takes you an hour to walk 2 miles, then I would say that is more than moderate, if it takes you 30 minutes, then is that just acceptable? If you're on a bike, does that mean you should do more than 30? It's pretty nebulous.

I suppose though the idea is that any activity is better than none, and if you're walking, or riding a bike, or swimming or in the gym, while the actual level of cardio/muscle/body workout may differ greatly (and even in the gym, is walking a slow treadmill equal to pumping iron or doing aerobics/zumba/pilates?)... I think the idea is to get the heart going.

For mine, I try to walk 20-30 minutes a day before work - usually I do the same path(I know, boring!) that is around 2km's and on the weekends I try and walk if not one, but both days and over 5km's each day (I did about 10km's on sat and ~8km's sun) and that seems to work for me. Whenever they've tested my heart they say it is good.

I'll never be a gym junkie, but I do believe that while I can do something easy like walking, and pleasant, then all the better. Plus I also do lots of little things like walk the 2 flights of stairs to/from my office level a number of times a day rather than be lazy and take the elevator, and at lunchtime I try to walk around the city as well - even if it's just go to to a different lunch spot or coffee place or whatever. a) it gets me away from the desk and b) ads to my daily exercise. I reckon all these little things count for something.

[Sugarlump]

I wonder if it's possible to push a new kidney too hard too soon or whether it will cope with continually walking faster and longer and adding on other strenuous  activities, like swimming and aerobics and stuff?

[Sunny]

I'm five months post transplant and walk a minimum 2 miles 5 or 6 days a week. It took about 3 months to get perfectly comfortable doing this and was hard for me to do at first, till I built up my muscles and cardio ability again. I have a few favorite walk routes and one of them is filled with very steep hills. My transplant surgeon encourages exercise and assures me it's good for me and my kidney.

[Sugarlump]

Just come back from my dog walk ...2 miles in about 45 minutes though the ground is a bit muddy which slows us down.
Don't have many hills in East Anglia  but plenty of stiles to clamber over and long, steady inclines!