Abstract
BackgroundPatients with renal transplant are at higher risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population. Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of CVD mortality in these patients. Unfortunately, barriers such as the harsh Canadian climate prevent patients from engaging in and harvesting the health benefits of physical activity. This pilot study explored active video gaming (AVG) as a way for patients with renal transplant to obtain physical activity and examined its effect on their functional status and quality of life (QOL).Main textWe recruited nine patients for an 8-week prospective pilot study. All patients received a Microsoft Xbox 360™ video gaming console, a Microsoft Kinect™ sensor, and the video game Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. Assessment of each participant before and after the intervention included blood pressure measures, a 6-minute walk test, and the Godin Leisure Time Questionnaire (GLTQ). We analyzed all nine patients at the end of the 8-week study period, and found no changes in blood pressure or GLTQ scores. However, there was a significant increase in the 6-minute walk distance (P = 0.022), which represented a consistent increase for most patients (correlation = 0.977). In addition, participants over the age of 45 years (n = 4) were more likely to use the AVG system (P = 0.042).ConclusionAVG has the potential to improve the functional status in patients with renal transplant. Further research is required to corroborate the full health benefits of AVG in this patient population.
Highlights
We recruited nine patients for an 8-week prospective pilot study
active video gaming (AVG) has the potential to improve the functional status in patients with renal transplant
It is well established that physical activity reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) by improving health-related fitness and improving quality of life (QOL)
Summary
We designed an 8-week prospective pilot study involving AVG as the intervention. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board of our institution. The mean 6MWD before and after the intervention was 567 and 581 m, respectively, giving a m improvement post-intervention These values are somewhat similar to the 6MWD in the general population as reported by Casanova et al Compared with studies involving exercise programs for patients with chronic diseases, the 6MWD in our study is higher overall, with less improvement after physical rehabilitation. More frequent follow-ups may be beneficial in serving both as a reminder as well as motivation for participants to use the AVG system to exercise Another consideration for future studies would be to include patients from other transplant populations, as exercise training can improve the health outcomes of those patients as well. Future studies would benefit from such record-keeping intrinsic to the AVG system if a more technically complete set-up is attainable
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