High physical activity to reduce the risk of heart disease in CKD patients

In a recent long-term study of 3,926 adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) recently published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), researchers found that individuals with higher levels of physical activity were less likely to experience an atherosclerotic event (e.g. heart attack, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease), new-onset heart failure, and death as compared to those with lower levels of physical activity.

In terms of effect size, the association between higher physical activity and lower risk for incident Peripheral Artery Disease was particularly striking. Peripheral arterial disease in the legs or lower extremities causing blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs being one of the major reasons for mortality rate.In addition, their finding of an inverse relationship between physical activity level and incident heart failure is noteworthy in view of the high prevalence and cost of heart failure in the chronic kidney patients population.

Findings were similar for analyses evaluating adherence to guideline-recommended (>150 minutes/week) level of physical activity, and strengthen the evidence supporting current guideline recommendations. These findings reinforce the importance of incorporating counseling regarding physical activity into the routine clinical care of patients with chronic kidney patients.

Reference: Jacob W. Bruinius, BS, Mary Hannan, PhD, Jinsong Chen, PhD, Julia Brown, MD, Mayank Kansal, MD, Natalie Meza, MPH, Milda R. Saunders, MD, MPH, Jiang He, MD, Ana C. Ricardo, MD, and James P. Lash, MD. "Self-reported Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Events in Adults With CKD: Findings From the CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study" DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2022.05.007.