10
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
0 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found
      Is Open Access

      A prescribed walking regimen plus arginine supplementation improves function and quality of life for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a pilot study

      research-article

      Read this article at

      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Current evidence suggests that exercise training is beneficial in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Unfortunately, the standard supervised, hospital-based programs limit patient accessibility to this important intervention. Our proof-of-concept study aimed to provide insight into the usefulness of a prescribed walking regimen along with arginine supplementation to improve outcomes for patients with PAH. Twelve PAH patients (all women) in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (FC) II (n = 7) or III (n = 5) and in stable condition for ≥ 3 months were enrolled. Patients performed home- and fitness-center- based walking at 65–75% heart rate (HR) reserve for 45 min, six sessions/week for 12 weeks. Concomitant L-arginine supplementation (6000 mg/day) was provided to maximize beneficial endothelial training adaptations. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 6-min walk testing (6MWT), echocardiography, laboratory studies, and quality of life (QoL) survey (SF-36) were performed at baseline and 12 weeks. Eleven patients completed the study (72 session adherence rate = 96 ± 3%). Objective improvement was demonstrated by the 6MWT distance (increased by 40 ± 13 m, P = 0.01), VO 2max (increased by 2 ± 0.7 mL/kg/min, P = 0.02), time-to-VO 2max (increased by 2.5 ± 0.6 min, P = 0.001), VO 2 at anaerobic threshold (increased by 1.3 ± 0.5 mL/kg/min, P = 0.04), HR recovery (reduced by 68 ± 23% in slope, P = 0.01), and SF-36 subscales of Physical Functioning and Energy/Fatigue (increased by 70 ± 34% and 74 ± 34%, respectively, P < 0.05). No adverse events occurred, and right ventricular function and brain natriuretic peptide levels remained stable, suggesting safety of the intervention. This proof-of-concept study indicates that a simple walking regimen with arginine supplementation is a safe and efficacious intervention for clinically stable PAH patients, with gains in objective function and QoL measures. Further investigation in a randomized controlled trial is warranted.

          Related collections

          Most cited references50

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          Pulmonary arterial hypertension: baseline characteristics from the REVEAL Registry.

          The Registry to EValuate Early And Long-term pulmonary arterial hypertension disease management (REVEAL Registry) was established to provide updated characteristics of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and to improve diagnosis, treatment, and management. Fifty-four US centers enrolled consecutively screened patients with World Health Organization group I PAH who met expanded hemodynamic criteria of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) > 25 mm Hg at rest (30 mm Hg with exercise), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or= 240 dynes x s x cm(-5). Patients meeting the traditional hemodynamic definition (PCWP
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            Updated treatment algorithm of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

            The demands on a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment algorithm are multiple and in some ways conflicting. The treatment algorithm usually includes different types of recommendations with varying degrees of scientific evidence. In addition, the algorithm is required to be comprehensive but not too complex, informative yet simple and straightforward. The type of information in the treatment algorithm are heterogeneous including clinical, hemodynamic, medical, interventional, pharmacological and regulatory recommendations. Stakeholders (or users) including physicians from various specialties and with variable expertise in PAH, nurses, patients and patients' associations, healthcare providers, regulatory agencies and industry are often interested in the PAH treatment algorithm for different reasons. These are the considerable challenges faced when proposing appropriate updates to the current evidence-based treatment algorithm.The current treatment algorithm may be divided into 3 main areas: 1) general measures, supportive therapy, referral strategy, acute vasoreactivity testing and chronic treatment with calcium channel blockers; 2) initial therapy with approved PAH drugs; and 3) clinical response to the initial therapy, combination therapy, balloon atrial septostomy, and lung transplantation. All three sections will be revisited highlighting information newly available in the past 5 years and proposing updates where appropriate. The European Society of Cardiology grades of recommendation and levels of evidence will be adopted to rank the proposed treatments. Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Increased sympathetic nerve activity in pulmonary artery hypertension.

              This study tested the hypothesis that sympathetic nerve activity is increased in pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), a rare disease of poor prognosis and incompletely understood pathophysiology. We subsequently explored whether chemoreflex activation contributes to sympathoexcitation in PAH. We measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) by microneurography, heart rate (HR), and arterial oxygen saturation (Sao(2)) in 17 patients with PAH and 12 control subjects. The patients also underwent cardiac echography, right heart catheterization, and a 6-minute walk test with dyspnea scoring. Circulating catecholamines were determined in 8 of the patients. Chemoreflex deactivation by 100% O(2) was assessed in 14 patients with the use of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study design. Compared with the controls, the PAH patients had increased MSNA (67+/-4 versus 40+/-3 bursts per minute; P<0.0001) and HR (82+/-4 versus 68+/-3 bpm; P=0.02). MSNA in the PAH patients was correlated with HR (r=0.64, P=0.006), Sao(2) (r=-0.53, P=0.03), the presence of pericardial effusion (r=0.51, P=0.046), and NYHA class (r=0.52, P=0.033). The PAH patients treated with prostacyclin derivatives had higher MSNA (P=0.009), lower Sao(2) (P=0.01), faster HR (P=0.003), and worse NYHA class (P=0.04). Plasma catecholamines were normal. Peripheral chemoreflex deactivation with hyperoxia increased Sao(2) (91.7+/-1% to 98.4+/-0.2%; P<0.0001) and decreased MSNA (67+/-5 to 60+/-4 bursts per minute; P=0.0015), thereby correcting approximately one fourth of the difference between PAH patients and controls. We report for the first time direct evidence of increased sympathetic nerve traffic in advanced PAH. Sympathetic hyperactivity in PAH is partially chemoreflex mediated and may be related to disease severity.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Journal
                Pulm Circ
                Pulm Circ
                PUL
                sppul
                Pulmonary Circulation
                SAGE Publications (Sage UK: London, England )
                2045-8932
                2045-8940
                04 December 2017
                January 2018
                : 8
                : 1
                : 2045893217743966
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Physical Therapy, Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Indianapolis, IN, USA
                [2 ]Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
                [3 ]Ringgold 12250, universityDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine; , Indianapolis, IN, USA
                [4 ]Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
                Author notes
                [*]Mary Beth Brown, Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, 1140 W. Michigan Street, CF326, Indianapolis, IN 46220, USA. Email: brownmb@ 123456iu.edu
                Article
                10.1177_2045893217743966
                10.1177/2045893217743966
                5731727
                29199900
                5e01e085-fc64-4506-9cbf-c1d3b6dbaf44
                © The Author(s) 2017

                This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License ( http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages ( https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

                History
                : 29 August 2017
                : 27 October 2017
                Categories
                Research Article
                Custom metadata
                January-March 2018

                Respiratory medicine
                aerobic exercise,exercise training,pah,cardiopulmonary rehabilitation,home exercise program

                Comments

                Comment on this article