The SickleFit Tele-Exercise Program for older adults with sickle cell disease: feasibility, acceptability, safety...

Despite increases in lifespan, people with sickle cell disease (SCD), experience accelerated functional impairment. Recognizing the critical need for interventions to maintain mobility and independence, we piloted SickleFit for feasibility, acceptability, and safety. SickleFit is an outpatient, group-based exercise program for older adults with SCD (age ≥40) delivered via telehealth. We enrolled 30 older adults with SCD in 5 cohorts at a single academic center, with all sessions supervised by trained personnel. We excluded individuals with unstable cardiac disease, oxygen-dependence, moderate or severe cognitive impairment, and wheelchair-bound. The virtual exercise classes were 60 minutes, personalized for functional status, and included moderate intensity cardio, strength, balance, mobility, and mindfulness training for 12 weeks. The feasibility endpoint was for ≥80% of participants to attend ≥50% of classes. The safety goal was no major or life-threatening adverse events (AEs) related to the intervention. Participants completed acceptability surveys. Exploratory outcomes included physical performance. Most (83%) participants met the feasibility endpoint. There were 46 minor AEs with 12 related to the intervention and 16 major AEs with 3 related to the intervention. No life-threatening AEs occurred. Nearly all (97%) reported satisfaction with the program. This pilot study demonstrated SickleFit is feasible and enjoyable for older adults with SCD. Most AEs were unrelated to the intervention and many participants chose to continue exercising by further tailoring their routine. Future studies will investigate how SickleFit affects function and quality of life for older adults with SCD. This trial was registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov with the ID: NCT05714098.