Necessity of Structured Exercise Training Program and Its Feasability on Physical Capacity and Health Statuswith Post COVID-19 Syndrome Patients

Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide and has become a global public health emergency. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic. Pulmonary Rehabilitation has shown good impact on Quality of life , Functional capacity and health status of patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease Recently there are various guidelines and consensus available for Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Post – COVID patients that has been extrapolated from other respiratory condition. There is paucity of literature that has shown the effect of Exercise training program on Physical capacity and Health status of patient with Post COVID 19 syndrome. So the present study uses the available evidence on COVID 19 patients to prepare the exercise program and implement it on post COVID syndrome patients.Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of supervised Exercise Training Program on Post COVID-19 syndrome patients Methodology: In this experimental study total 70 patients with Post Covid Syndrome will be included and they will be equally divided into two groups. Group A will receive supervised exercise training, while Group B will receive unsupervised exercise training. Participant will be evaluated at the beginning of therapy or after 6 weeks. Discussion: This study is conducted to evaluate effectiveness of structured exercise training program and its feasibility on physical capacity and health status of patients with Post COVID19 syndrome. Conclusion: Its effectiveness of a structured exercise program and its feasibility on physical capacity and health status of patients with Post COVID19 syndrome will be evaluated.

Effectiveness of exercise training program on postural control and quality of life in middle-aged men with unilateral lower limb amputation

This study aimed to investigate whether the exercise-based amputee rehabilitation program improves postural control and quality of life in people with unilateral transtibial amputation (TTA). Twenty middle-aged men (48.4±3.8 y) with lower limb amputation, in a randomized-controlled longitudinal design, volunteered to participate in the study and were divided into experimental (EXP, n=10) and control (CON, n=10) groups. Before and after 8 weeks of the exercise training program, postural control performance, using one-leg standing (OLS) and Y-balance tests, was measured. The quality of life was also assessed before and after 8 weeks training period using standard questionnaires. Group x time interactions were observed for the EXP group in OLS and Y-balance tests and quality of life scores in comparison to pre- training values and the CON group (p<0.05). People with unilateral TTA who received exercise-based amputee rehabilitation program demonstrated significant improvement in balance performance with significant effects on quality of life.

The STEP-HI Trial: Pragmatic Challenges and Design Issues

Multi-modal interventions present many implementation challenges, especially for studies of frail older adults. The STEP-HI study is an ongoing multi-center, randomized, controlled, double-blinded clinical trial that is evaluating whether six months of topical testosterone therapy combined with a supervised center-based exercise-training program can improve mobility, functional performance, and quality of life after hip fracture, compared to exercise training alone or Enhanced Usual Care. Female hip fracture patients ≥ 65 yrs. old who are living in the community or assisted living are being randomized within 26 weeks of surgical repair for the fracture, and re-evaluated 24 weeks later. This presentation discusses the rationale and study design, and modifications to the protocol in response to challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluation of the Implementation of a Home-Based Exercise Training Program for People With COPD: A Mixed-Methods Study

Introduction: Recently, we developed a home-based, minimal-equipment exercise training program HOMEX for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and tested its effectiveness over 1 year in a randomized controlled trial. The aims of the current study were to evaluate the implementation of HOMEX from the perspectives of all involved persons and to optimize the program to ensure its long-term sustainability.Methods: In this mixed-methods study, we used qualitative and quantitative approaches to evaluate the implementation of the intervention on the level of patients with COPD and coaches who provided the intervention and relevant stakeholders. To assess the implementation outcomes dose, reach, fidelity, and adherence, we summarized information recorded in the notes of the coaches and the diaries of patients, complemented with results from qualitative assessments. To assess acceptability and appropriateness, we conducted surveys with patients and coaches, and semistructured interviews with selected patients, coaches, and stakeholders.Results: The coaches delivered the three home visits with one exception according to the protocol (fidelity). Of the 53 intervention group participants, 37 (70%) conducted HOMEX training until the end of the study and 43 (79%) trained for at least 10 months. The exercise behaviors of the participants could be separated into the phases “Starting the training and stabilizing into regular training routine” and “Managing training disruptions” (adherence). Overall, patients, coaches, and stakeholders conveyed a very high “acceptability” of HOMEX, noting the home-based aspect as a particular strength and interaction with other patients as future need. All involved groups perceived the strength-training exercises as appropriate, efficient for people with COPD, and relevant to maintain improvements after pulmonary rehabilitation. The most important facilitators of the patients for long-term motivation were self-perceived improvement in strength, supervision by a coach, and integration of the training in daily routine. Based on these insights, we redesigned and reworded the exercise cards, introduced three new exercises, and refined the training book.Discussion: The results of this study provided insights of the involved persons in the frame of the HOMEX intervention implementation with a particular focus on the long-term training behavior of the participants and their perception and experience with the exercise program. These findings enabled us to optimize the training material and adapt the structure of the program for sustainable further use in clinical and other settings.

Benefits of home-based exercise training following critical SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case study

Purpose: We report for the first time the effect of exercise training in a survivor patient from critical COVID-19 illness. Methods: A 67-yr-old woman who had critical COVID-19 disease underwent a 10-wk home-based exercise training aimed at recovering her overall physical condition. Before and after the intervention, we assessed cardiopulmonary parameters, skeletal muscle strength and functionality, fatigue severity and self-reported persistent symptoms. Results: The patient was hospitalized for 71 days, being admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to respiratory failure. At baseline (3 months after discharge), she presented with severe impairment in cardiorespiratory functional capacity (<50% age predicted VO2peak). After the intervention, remarkable improvements in VO2peak (∆: 45.9%), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES; ∆: 30.1%), HR/VO2 slope (∆: -43.5%), the lowest VE/VCO2 ratio (∆: -7.1%), and exertional dyspnea were observed. In addition, handgrip strength (∆: 22.7%), 30-second Sit-to-Stand (30-STS; ∆:14.3%), Timed-Up-&-Go (TUG; ∆: -15%) performance and Post-COVID Functional Status (PCFS) score (4 vs. 2) were also improved from baseline to post-intervention. Self-reported persistent symptoms were also improved and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score decreased (4 vs. 2.7) from baseline to post-intervention.Conclusions: This is the first evidence that a semi-supervised, home-based exercise training program may be safe and potentially effective in improving cardiorespiratory and physical functionality in COVID-19 survivors. Controlled studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Feasibility and Efficiency of the BEFORE (Better Exercise and Food, Better Recovery) Prehabilitation Program

Prehabilitation has been postulated as an effective preventive intervention to reduce postoperative complications, particularly for elderly patients with a relatively high risk of complications. To date, it remains to be determined whether prehabilitation increases physical capacity and reduces postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 4-week multimodal prehabilitation program consisting of a personalized, supervised training program and nutritional intervention with daily fresh protein-rich food for colorectal cancer patients aged over 64 years prior to surgery. The primary outcome was the feasibility of this prehabilitation program defined as ≥80% compliance with the exercise training program and nutritional intervention. The secondary outcomes were the organizational feasibility and acceptability of the prehabilitation program. A compliance rate of ≥80% to both the exercise and nutritional intervention was accomplished by 6 patients (66.7%). Attendance of ≥80% at all 12 training sessions was achieved by 7 patients (77.8%); all patients (100%) attended ≥80% of the available training sessions. Overall, compliance with the training was 91.7%. Six patients (66.7%) accomplished compliance of ≥80% with the nutritional program. The median protein intake was 1.2 (g/kg/d). No adverse events occurred. This multimodal prehabilitation program was feasible for the majority of patients.

Aerobic exercise training reduces blood pressure, angiotensin II and oxidative stress of patients with resistant hypertension: the EnRiCH trial

Introduction Resistant hypertension is a major challenge of modern cardiovascular medicine, as it is a puzzling problem without a clear solution. Exercise training clearly reduces blood pressure (BP) and oxidative stress in patients with hypertension, however evidence is limited regarding resistant hypertension. Purpose To determine the effect of an aerobic exercise training program in BP, angiotensin II and oxidative stress in patients with resistant hypertension. Methods EnRicH is a prospective, two-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial with a parallel two-arm group. Sixty patients with resistant hypertension were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to undergo a 12-week aerobic exercise training program (exercise) or usual care (control). The powered primary efficacy measure was 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP change from baseline. Secondary outcome measures included daytime and nighttime ambulatory BP, office BP, cardiorespiratory fitness, and oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers: Interferon-gamma (IFN-y), Angiotensin II, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Results Fifty-three patients (exercise n=26, control n=27) completed the study. Patients were mainly women (54.7%), with an office BP of 140.7±15.9/84.2±9.4 mm Hg and taking an average of 4.6 antihypertensive medications (median, 5; range, 3 to 7). At baseline, no differences were found between groups for the study outcomes and patient characteristics. Ambulatory systolic BP was reduced −7.1 mm Hg (95% CI, −12.8 to −1.4; P=0.015) in the exercise group (127.4±12.2 to 121.2±12.2, p=0.007) compared to control group (126.1±17.2 to 126.9±15.2, p=514) over 24-hour. In addition, 24-hour ambulatory diastolic BP (−5.1 mm Hg, −7.9 to −2.3, P=0.001), daytime ambulatory systolic (−8.4 mm Hg, −14.3 to −2.5, P=0.006), and diastolic BP (−5.7 mm Hg, −9.0 to −2.4, P=0.001) were also reduced in the exercise group compared to the control group. There were no differences in the change of nighttime ambulatory BP between groups. Cardiorespiratory fitness improved in the exercise group by 14% (4.7 ml.kg-1.min-1, P&lt;0.001), while it remained unchanged in the control group (−0.37 ml.kg-1.min-1, P=0.442). A significant between-group difference in favor of exercise group was found for IFN-y (−4.3 pg/mL, 95% CI: −7.1 to −1.5; P=0.003), Angiotensin II (−157.0 pg/mL, 95% CI: −288.1 to −25.9; P=0.020), VEGF (10.53 pg/mL, 95% CI: 0.60 to 22.54; P=0.035), and SOD (0.35 pg/mL, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.58; P=0.009). Conclusions A 12-week moderate intensity aerobic exercise program reduced ambulatory BP, angiotensin II and oxidative stress in patients with resistant hypertension. The antihypertensive effects of exercise in patients with resistant hypertension may be mediated by positive changes in oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): European Union through European Regional Development Fund – Operational Competitiveness Factors Program (COMPETE)Portuguese Government through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology