The Role of Physical Exercise in Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 10% of the general population worldwide, amounting to more than 800 million individuals. Some important conditions associated with CKD are hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking. According to World Health Organization (WHO), regular physical activity helps to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, associated with weight reduction. It is known that a decrease in systolic blood pressure is associated with significant reduction in all causes of mortality and major cardiovascular events. As far as diabetes concerned, beyond first-line medication, healthy lifestyle behaviours should be considered, in which physical activity is included. Training leads to improved skeletal muscle response with increased expression and activity of proteins involved in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Concerning dyslipidemia, one of the recommended interventions encompasses lifestyle, noting that in patients with low, moderate, or high cardiovascular risk, depending on the LDL value, the treatment involves physical activity and weight loss or its association with pharmacotherapy. CKD patients have some particularities that condition the exercise prescription and the interpretation of its benefits. This review is intended to systematize the importance of exercise in CKD and its determinants.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus/therapy
• dyslipidemia/therapy
• exercise
• exercise therapy
• hypertension/therapy
• physical fitness
• renal insufficiency
• chronic/therapy