Walking Linked to Reduced Risk of Premature Death Among Those With Kidney Disease

A new study highlights the profound benefits of walking for patients with kidney disease.

According to report appearing in an upcoming Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, researchers claim that for those with kidney disease, walking significantly reduces the risk of premature death and also reduces the risk of needing dialysis or kidney transplants.

Chronic kidney disease patients have been encouraged to indulge into physical exercise programs as it is believed that physical activity may counteract metabolic disturbances that enhance the progression of CKD.

In the current study, researcher Che-Yi Chou MD, PhD, Chiz-Tzung Chang, PhD (China Medical University Hospital, in Taiwan) analyzed whether any activity as simple as walking offers health benefits to CKD patients.  The study included 6,363 patients with CKD stages 3-5 in the CKD program of China Medical University Hospital from 2003-2013. The average age of the patients was 70 years old; they were followed for an average 1.3 years.

For over 21 percent of the participants, walking was the most common form of exercise. During the follow up the researchers noticed that the patients who walked regularly were nearly 33 percent less likely to die and also 21 percent less likely to need a dialysis or a kidney transplant.

More they walked, the more they were benefited.  When compared to those who did not walk, patients who walked 1-2 times a week were 17 percent less likely to die during the study period. Those who walked 3-4 times per week were 28 percent less likely to die during the study, while those who walked 5-6 times a week were 58 percent less likely to die and the least risk of dying was among those who walked more than seven times a week i.e. 59 percent.

They also noticed that the presence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes was similar between both walking and non-walking patients. 

"We have shown that CKD patients with comorbidities were able to walk if they wanted to, and that walking for exercise is associated with improved patient survival and a lower risk of dialysis," said Dr. Chou.  "A minimal amount of walking-just once a week for less than 30 minutes-appears to be beneficial, but more frequent and longer walking may provide a more beneficial effect."