Home-based exercise program improves normal right ventricle function in renal transplant recipients.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Nephrology
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Right ventricular (RV) function is critical for outcomes in high-risk cardiovascular populations.
• Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) often have comorbidities affecting biventricular function.
• Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a key tool for assessing RV function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of 1 year of unsupervised physical activity on RV global longitudinal strain (RVGLS) in RTRs.
• To compare RVGLS changes in RTRs undergoing exercise with a control group.
• To determine the clinical and prognostic implications of RVGLS in RTRs.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 50 RTRs engaged in moderate-intensity exercise for 12 months.
• Echocardiography was performed every 6 months.
• 2D STE analysis of RVGLS was conducted at baseline, 6, and 12 months on 25 subjects with high-quality imaging.

Main Results:

• RTRs exhibited lower baseline RVGLS compared to healthy controls.
• A significant increase (P<0.01) in RVGLS was observed after 12 months of exercise.
• Exercise intervention normalized RVGLS in RTRs, restoring it to a healthy range.

Conclusions:

• Unsupervised moderate-intensity exercise positively influences RV performance in RTRs.
• RVGLS assessment via STE provides valuable prognostic information for exercising RTRs.
• Exercise can support normal RV function, aiding in follow-up planning for RTRs.