Aerobic Exercise is Safe for HIV+ Patients
Baigis J, Korniewicz DM, Chase G, Butz A, Jacobson D, Wu
AW. Effectiveness of a home-based exercise intervention for
HIV-infected adults: a randomized trial. Journal of the
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. 2002;13:33-45.
For the more than 400,000 people in the United States
living with HIV infection, decreased endurance and physical
functioning can limit their quality of life. Exercise has been
shown to benefit sufferers of some chronic health conditions,
yet it can also be contraindicated in some cases of illness or
chronic infection. Researchers tested an exercise intervention
course in 52 individuals with confirmed HIV infection but no
AIDS-defining symptoms. The intervention consisted of 3
in-home 20-minute workouts per week on a fitness ski machine
over a 15-week period, with each session monitored by a
nurse/exercise trainer. Participants also kept a daily diary
to record their mood and energy levels and any additional
exercise they completed. At baseline, and again at 8 and 15
weeks, the participants had blood drawn for CD4+ counts,
answered 3 different quality-of-life questionnaires, and
underwent a treadmill endurance test. By the end of the
intervention, those in the exercise intervention maintained
their endurance at baseline levels and showed a slight
improvement in health-related quality of life. CD4+ counts
remained stable. Exercise appears to be safe for HIV+ patients
and can help them maintain their endurance and physical
functioning.
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