Valentina Totti1, Tiziana Campione2, Giovanni Mosconi3, Mariarosa Tamè4, Maddalena Tonioli5, Mariacristina Gregorini6, Roberto Scarpioni7, Ada Storari8, Renzo Mignani9, Gianluigi Sella10, Lia Bellis11, Massimo Cardillo11, Gabriela Sangiorgi2. 1. National Association of Hemodialysis, Dialysis, and Transplantation (ANED), Milan, Italy; Transplants Reference Center of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: trapiantoesportcrter@gmail.com. 2. Transplants Reference Center of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna, Italy. 3. Nephrology and Dialysis, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, AUSL Romagna, Forlì, Italy. 4. Department of Gastrointestinal Diseases, Gastroenterology Division, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy. 5. Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy. 6. Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, AUSL-IRCCS Reggio-Emilia, Italy. 7. Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza, Italy. 8. Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Cona Hospital, Ferrara, Italy. 9. Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Infermi Hospital, AUSL Romagna, Rimini, Italy. 10. Sports Medicine Unit, Regional Hospital of Ravenna, AUSL Romagna, Ravenna, Italy. 11. Italian National Transplant Center, Rome, Italy.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Despite the well-known benefits of exercise during the pretransplantation and post-transplantation phases, adherence to active lifestyles is still reduced. The aim of the present study is to evaluate how many patients who have received organ transplants and candidates for organ transplantation carry out physical or sports activities in order to increase adherence to an active lifestyle. METHODS: The patients who agreed to participate in the study were interviewed about their lifestyle habits by the staff at the nephrology, dialysis, and hepatology units of the Emilia-Romagna region. The interview investigated the patient's lifestyle (active or sedentary) and type of physical activity (walking, cycling, gardening, gym at least 3 to 40 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week) or sport (training > 2 times per week) routinely practiced. RESULTS: We collected 1138 interviews from patients on the waiting list (n = 159) for organ transplant, those with kidney transplants (n = 756), and those with liver transplants (n = 223) monitored in the Emilia-Romagna hospitals (regional patients 67%, extraregional 33%). Eighty-four patients on the waiting list for a transplant (kidney) were sedentary, 75 practiced physical activity, and 10 of 75 physically active patients practiced sport. Four hundred fifteen patients with kidney transplants were sedentary, 341 practiced physical activity, and 31 of 341 physically active patients practiced sport. Among patients with liver transplants, 56 were sedentary, 167 practiced physical activity, and 20 of 167 physically active patients played sport. CONCLUSIONS: In-line with the general population, we confirmed a high tendency toward a sedentary lifestyle (44% of respondents) among patients with organ transplants and those on waiting lists for organ transplants. Including a prescription for physical exercise as part of the therapeutic regimen can be useful for changing lifestyles during the pre- and post-transplantation period.
INTRODUCTION: Despite the well-known benefits of exercise during the pretransplantation and post-transplantation phases, adherence to active lifestyles is still reduced. The aim of the present study is to evaluate how many patients who have received organ transplants and candidates for organ transplantation carry out physical or sports activities in order to increase adherence to an active lifestyle. METHODS: The patients who agreed to participate in the study were interviewed about their lifestyle habits by the staff at the nephrology, dialysis, and hepatology units of the Emilia-Romagna region. The interview investigated the patient's lifestyle (active or sedentary) and type of physical activity (walking, cycling, gardening, gym at least 3 to 40 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week) or sport (training > 2 times per week) routinely practiced. RESULTS: We collected 1138 interviews from patients on the waiting list (n = 159) for organ transplant, those with kidney transplants (n = 756), and those with liver transplants (n = 223) monitored in the Emilia-Romagna hospitals (regional patients 67%, extraregional 33%). Eighty-four patients on the waiting list for a transplant (kidney) were sedentary, 75 practiced physical activity, and 10 of 75 physically active patients practiced sport. Four hundred fifteen patients with kidney transplants were sedentary, 341 practiced physical activity, and 31 of 341 physically active patients practiced sport. Among patients with liver transplants, 56 were sedentary, 167 practiced physical activity, and 20 of 167 physically active patients played sport. CONCLUSIONS: In-line with the general population, we confirmed a high tendency toward a sedentary lifestyle (44% of respondents) among patients with organ transplants and those on waiting lists for organ transplants. Including a prescription for physical exercise as part of the therapeutic regimen can be useful for changing lifestyles during the pre- and post-transplantation period.