Depression, heart rate variability, and exercise training in dialysis patients.

Background: Functional limitations, altered cardiac autonomic activity, and psychological distress are known disorders in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients, relating to increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of an exercise training program on emotional parameters and heart rate variability (HRV) indices, as well as to determine whether emotional stress contributes to autonomic dysfunction in these patients.

Methods: Forty-four HD patients were randomly assigned into group A (24 patients, aged 46.