Project “Trapianto … e adesso sport”. Effects of exercise on quality of life of solid organ transplant patients: preliminary results.

Introduction Different studies have suggested that physical activity can play an important role in improving quality of life in solid organ transplant recipients. However, the population investigated is still limited, while it is still not defined which specific domains can receive a greater benefit. The aim of the project “Trapianto… e adesso Sport” is to assess the effect of a mixed protocol (endurance and resistance training) on a sample of heart, liver and kidney transplant recipients recruited in different Italian Transplant Centers. Methods Subjects enrolled in the study have been assigned with non-randomized method at 2 cohorts: the Exercise Cohort (EF) including transplanted subjects receiving a physical exercise prescription to be carried out in a qualified gym, and the Control Cohort (CT), which includes transplant patients not receiving any exercise prescription. Each participant has been tested through 3 evaluations (baseline evaluation – T0, after 6 months – T6, and after 12 months – T12) at a Sport Medicine centre, where along with others functional tests, the Italian version of Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) was administered. The survey consists of 36 questions that yields and 8-scale profile of functional health and well-being scores like Physical Functioning (PF), Role-Physical (RP), Role-Emotional (RE), Bodily Pain (BP), General Health (GH), Vitality (VT), Social Functioning (SF) and Mental Health (MH). Results Currently, 111 subjects have been enrolled in the study, 50 of them (liver and kidney transplants) have completed all 3 evaluations. EF subjects (n=32) have shown statistically significant improvements from baseline to T6 (p<0.05) in the AF, RP and RE scale. Moreover, a significant improvement between data obtained from T0 to T12 in domains like AF, RP, BP, GH, SF and RE was observed. Analyzing the subgroup of patients evaluated in our Center (n=26), baseline results gives us a picture of the general condition among heart, liver and kidney patients at the beginning of study. SF-36 scores at T0 show that liver transplant recipients suffer a more compromised health condition compared with heart or kidney receivers, which profiles are essentially overlapped. Discussion To summarize, the quality of life that the transplanted subjects present early after transplantation, often before they have been going a cycle of rehabilitation depends on the type of transplant, on immunosuppressive therapy side effects and on the pre-transplant clinical conditions. Furthermore, an adapted and personalized exercise program to these patients could improve their perception of different scales of the QOL, like we have just observed in our first results after 6 or 12 months of exercise program.