[Aerobic exercise and fatigue indices in rheumatoid arthritis patients in the health resort care setting].

Unlabelled: Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There is strong evidence that physical activity is an effective way to reduce fatigue.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (walking) to reduce fatigue in RA patients in the health resort setting.

Material And Methods: The study involved 102 female patients with RA (age 54.38±11.3 years, body mass index 20-29 kg/m, DAS28-ESR ≤3.2, with severe fatigue of VAS ≥50) who received 21 days of health resort treatment. The health-improving and therapeutic complex includes dosed physical activity, aerobic exercises (walking). Visual analog scale (VAS0-100) and Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Scale-Numerical Rating Scale (BRAF-NRS V2) were used to assess fatigue, and the 50-meter walking test was used to evaluate the functional status of patients.

Results: A correlation between walking duration and the number of steps at a distance of 50 m (<0.001) as well as between these indices and fatigue (<0.001) was shown. A positive effect of a standard three-week medical rehabilitation program for patients with RA on fatigue NRS severity (=0.003) and NRS effect (=0.037), as well as on patients' functional status (reduced time spent on the 50-meter test, =0.01) was demonstrated. When comparing groups of RA patients with low (group 1, <5000-6000 steps per day) and optimal (group 2, ≥7000-8000 steps per day) aerobic exercise, positive results were noted in the short term (at 3 weeks) (<0.001).

Conclusion: Aerobic exercise is a promising intervention for treating fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Medical rehabilitation in a resort setting is the best starting point to encourage performing regular physical activity, as well as the best way to develop exercise programs tailored to rheumatoid arthritis patients.