Exercise Helps Relieve Depression In Dialysis' Patients

Exercise isn't just beneficial for the body; it's also good for the mind as well.

Now, recent findings published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology show that aerobic physical activity can also help to relieve depressive symptoms in kidney failure patients on dialysis and help to prolong their life, overall. 

For the study, researchers examined kidney-failure patients on dialysis after a median follow-up of 1.6 years. Findings revealed that aerobic activity was linked positively to quality of life and helped to inversely reduce depressive symptoms and premature death. Furthermore, those who were active were up to 40 percent less likely to die than those who were never/rarely active.

In similar associations, those who were observed in subgroups defined by age, sex and time on dialysis as well as diabetes status, were also less likely to be at high death-risk based on exercise involvement.

"In addition, aerobic physical activity levels were found to be higher for patients treated in dialysis units offering an exercise program compared with units not offering an exercise program, pointing to the possibility to improve patient physical activity levels through greater availability of such programs for hemodialysis patients," said Antonio Alberto Lopes, MD, PhD (Federal University of Bahia, in Brazil), in a news release. "Our results call attention to opportunities for potentially improving the health of patients on hemodialysis through counseling for physical activity and the promotion of exercise programs in nephrology clinics."