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Effects of exercise on aerobic capacity and fatigue in women with primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Strömbeck BE, Theander E, Jacobsson LT

Department of Rheumatology, Malmö University Hospital, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden. britta.strombeck@skane.se

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a moderate to high intensive exercise program on two primary outcomes (aerobic capacity, fatigue), and three secondary outcomes [anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL)] in women with primary Sjögren's syndrome (primary SS). METHODS: Twenty-one women with primary SS were ranked according to degree of fatigue and allocated to an exercise group (TG; n = 11) or a control group (CG; n = 10). The exercise method was Nordic walking for 45 min three times a week for 12 weeks. Outcome measures assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks were aerobic capacity, fatigue, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), anxiety, depression and HRQoL. RESULTS: Nine women in the TG and 10 women in the CG completed the study. Analysis showed significant differences between the groups regarding aerobic capacity (P = 0.03), fatigue (P = 0.03), RPE (P = 0.03), and depression (P = 0.02) with the better values for the TG. There were no differences in anxiety or HRQoL. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the use of appropriate aerobic exercise in the treatment of primary SS.

Published 23 April 2007 in Rheumatology (Oxford), 46(5): 868-71.
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