U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
News, Health Headlines (OWH)
June 29, 2012
Training regimen linked to improved strength, mobility and heart health a year after surgery.
A structured exercise program boosted the overall health of lung transplant patients and reduced their risk of cardiovascular problems, a new study reports.
Lung transplant patients often have weak muscles and limited physical endurance due to inactivity before the transplant and the drugs they must take after, the researchers said.
Many patients remain inactive after their transplant, and up to half develop conditions such as high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis, the study authors noted.
Exercise can help prevent these problems.
The new study included 40 patients with an average age of 59 who had single or double lung transplants. About half were assigned to a three-month exercise program while the rest (the control group) received usual care.
The patients in the exercise group did three 90-minute workouts per week after they were discharged from the hospital. The activities included cycling, walking, stair climbing and leg presses. Exercise intensity increased over the course of the training program.
The control group did not engage in the training regimen, but did perform daily mobility exercises -- such as walking, cycling and stair climbing -- for about six weeks after their surgery.
One year after being discharged from the hospital, patients in the exercise group were walking an average of 85 minutes a day, compared with 54 minutes for those in the control group.
The patients in the exercise group also had significantly more leg strength and self-reported physical functioning, could walk farther in six minutes, did much more physical activity and had lower blood pressure and better cardiovascular health than those in the control group.
The study was published in the June issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
"Our study showed patients who had uncomplicated lung transplant surgery benefited greatly from supervised exercise training, which was initiated immediately after they were discharged from [the] hospital," lead author Dr. Daniel Langer, an expert in respiratory diseases and rehabilitation at University Hospitals KU Leuven in Belgium, said in a journal news release.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about lung transplants.
(SOURCE: American Journal of Transplantation, news release, June 21, 2012)
Super Doctors identifies top doctors as selected by their peers and the independent research of Key Professional Media.
Super Doctors is published online and also in print as a special advertising section in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines.
© 2013 Super Doctors ®, Key Professional Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: Information in this Web site is not medical advice, nor is Super Doctors a physician referral service. We strive to maintain a high degree of accuracy in the information provided, but make no claim, promise or guarantee about the accuracy, or adequacy of the information contained in, or linked to superdoctors.com or its associated Web sites. Selecting a physician is an important decision; it should not be based solely on advertising or listings. Super Doctors is the name of a publication. It is not a title or moniker conferred upon individuals. No representation is made that the quality of the medical services provided by the physicians listed in this Web site will be greater than that of other licensed physicians and past results do not guarantee future success. Super Doctors is an independent publisher that has developed its own selection methodology; itis not affiliated with any federal, state or regulatory body. Self-designated practice specialties listed in Super Doctors do not imply "recognition" or "endorsement" of any field of medical practice, nor does it imply certification by a Member Medical Specialty Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), or that the physician has been trained or has special competence to practice the specialty. Use of this site is subject to additional Terms and Conditions.