Abstract
We conducted a systematic review to compare the effectiveness and safety of exercise versus no exercise for patients with asymptomatic aortic aneurysm. We followed the guidelines set out in the Cochrane systematic review handbook. We searched Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, LILACS, PeDRO, CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov, ICTRP, and OpenGrey using the MeSH terms “aortic aneurysm” and “exercise”. 1189 references were identified. Five clinical trials were included. No exercise-related deaths or aortic ruptures occurred in these trials. Exercise did not reduce the aneurysm expansion rate at 12 weeks to 12 months (mean difference [MD], −0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.13 to 0.03). Six weeks of preoperative exercise reduced severe renal and cardiac complications (risk ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31–0.93) and the length of intensive care unit stay (MD, −1.00; 95% CI, −1.26 to −0.74). Preoperative and postoperative forward walking reduced the length of hospital stay (MD, −0.69; 95% CI, −1.24 to −0.14). The evidence was graded as ‘very low’ level.
Highlights
An aortic aneurysm is a permanent localized aortic dilatation that is at least 50% larger than the normal diameter.[1,2]
80% of aortic aneurysms are located in the abdominal aorta.[5]
The most feared complication of aortic aneurysms is rupture, which leads to death in up to 90% of patients.[7]
Summary
An aortic aneurysm is a permanent localized aortic dilatation that is at least 50% larger than the normal diameter.[1,2] The estimated prevalence is 4.0% to 8.9% in men and 1.3% to 2.2% in women aged ≥55 years.[3,4] Approximately 80% of aortic aneurysms are located in the abdominal aorta.[5]. No clinical interventions have been found to be effective for reducing the growth rate or risk of rupture before an aneurysm reaches these diameters.[10,11]
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