Assessment of aerobic exercise capacity and functional status in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Project no. 22158 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2020
Summary
<p><strong>Background</strong></p><p>Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic chronic inflammatory disorder that is characterized by joint erosions and deformities, as well as cardiovascular involvement and decreased aerobic capacity as a result of inflammation, pulmonary involvement, and side effects of corticosteroid and other medications. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of arm crank ergometer to that of treadmill ergometer in terms of assessing aerobic functional capacity.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong></p><p>In this study, patients who were followed in the Rheumatology outpatient clinic of our University Hospital with the diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis and age and sex matched controls were included. Volunteers were assessed with 6 minute walk test, and cardiopulmonary exercise test. Cardiopulmonary exercise test was performed twice for each patient, one on a treadmill ergometer and one with an arm crank ergometer. The results were analyzed and compared between groups.</p><p><strong>Results</strong></p><p>30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 32 controls were enrolled in the study. When results from the two groups were compared, it was found that both treadmill and arm crank ergometer VO2 max values of rheumatoid arthritis patients were significantly lower than those of healthy controls (p<0.05). Both in patient and control groups, VO2 max values obtained from the arm crank ergometer were lower than the VO2 max values that were obtained by the treadmill ergometer (p<0.05). In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the ratio of VO2 max from arm crank test to the treadmill test was lower compared to the healthy controls (p<0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p>Arm crank ergometer is a reliable tool in assessing aerobic functional capacity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are in remission. Although it must be kept in mind that VO2 max values obtained from the arm crank test are lower than those obtained from a treadmill test.</p>