Exercise effects on HRV in cancer patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Cancer patients often experience impaired cardiac autonomic regulation.
• Physical exercise is increasingly recognized for its therapeutic potential in oncology.
• Heart rate variability (HRV) is a key indicator of autonomic nervous system function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a Nordic-Walking program on HRV in cancer patients.
• To assess changes in fatigue and quality of life (QoL) associated with exercise interventions.
• To determine if exercise benefits cardiac autonomic regulation during and after cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 30 tumor patients (60.4±8.9 years) divided into three groups: acute treatment with exercise, post-treatment with exercise, and acute treatment without exercise.
• Participants underwent short-term HRV recordings and completed fatigue and QoL assessments before and after a 16-week intervention period.
• A Nordic-Walking program was implemented for the exercise groups, including counseling.

Main Results:

• Significant group-by-time differences were observed in total power (TP) of HRV and QoL.
• TP follow-up scores were significantly higher in the post-treatment exercise group compared to the non-intervention group.
• QoL follow-up scores showed significant improvements in both acute and post-treatment exercise groups compared to the non-intervention group.

Conclusions:

• Exercise interventions, including Nordic Walking, enhance cardiac autonomic regulation in tumor patients during and after acute treatment.
• Improvements in HRV and QoL suggest that exercise positively impacts the autonomic nervous system in cancer survivors.
• Enhancing autonomic control through exercise may be a crucial therapeutic goal for improving survival in cancer patients.