Lifestyle Intervention in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial
1Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, 2Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, 3Department of Dietetics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, 4Department of Nephrology, Amsterdam Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Meeting: 2019 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 119
Keywords: Kidney transplantation, Outcome, Quality of life, Weight
Session Information
Session Name: Concurrent Session: Kidney: Cardiovascular and Metabolic I
Session Type: Concurrent Session
Date: Sunday, June 2, 2019
Session Time: 4:30pm-6:00pm
Presentation Time: 4:54pm-5:06pm
Location: Ballroom C
*Purpose: Low physical activity and reduced physical functioning are common after renal transplantation, resulting in a reduced quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of exercise rehabilitation with or without diet counseling, on physical functioning, quality of life and post-transplantation weight gain in renal transplant recipients (RTR).
*Methods: The Active Care after Transplantation study was a multicenter randomized controlled trial. RTR from 3 Dutch university hospitals were randomized to usual care or to exercise intervention (3 months supervised exercise 2 times/week followed by 12 months active lifestyle coaching), with or without additional dietary counseling (12 sessions over 15 months). General linear mixed models were used for intention-to-treat analyses. The exercise component was investigated with adjustment for diet (so comparing exercise and exercise+diet versus controls) and the diet component with adjustment for exercise (so exercise+diet versus exercise and control).
*Results: In total, 221 patients were included (age 51.8 years, 62% male, on average 5.0 months after transplantation, 26.3% pre-emptive). Quality of life in relation to physical functioning improved after start of the intervention by 5, 5.8 and 2.7 units after 3, 6 and 15 months respectively in the control group, but improved considerably more after the exercise program with on average 11.5, 9.7 en 8.3 units after 3, 6 and 15 months respectively (PTIME*INTERVENTION=0.022). Muscle strength improved more after the exercise program (T3=+21%, T6=+20%, T25=+20%, PTIME*INTERVENTION=0.028), as well as exercise capacity (T3=+7.4 W, T15=+11.9 W, PTIME*INTERVENTION<0.001) when compared to the control group. No significant changes were found in body composition, glucose homeostasis, plasma lipid profile and blood pressure (medication not yet taken into account). The dietary intervention was heterogeneous in its aims and did not seem to have a clear group- effect on weight gain or cardiometabolic risk factors.
*Conclusions: Exercise rehabilitation followed by lifestyle counseling significantly improved quality of life, strength and exercise capacity in renal transplant recipients on the short term. Importantly, this was sustained on the long term.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Corpeleijn E, Klaassen G, Zelle DM, Dijkema D, Vliet Ivan, Bemelman FJ, Navis GJ, Bakker SJ. Lifestyle Intervention in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2019; 19 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/lifestyle-intervention-in-renal-transplant-recipients-a-multicenter-randomized-clinical-trial/. Accessed May 8, 2025.« Back to 2019 American Transplant Congress