Exercise Preconditioning to Protect Against Dialysis-induced Cardiac Injury
Christopher McIntyreActively Recruiting
About This Study
This randomized crossover-controlled trial evaluates the cardioprotective effects of exercise preconditioning in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Investigators compare intradialytic cycling performed immediately prior to treatment against standard care to determine if pre-dialysis exertion mitigates dialysis-induced myocardial stunning. The primary objective is to assess changes in regional wall motion abnormalities and left ventricular ejection fraction during the dialysis session. Secondary endpoints include the frequency and severity of intradialytic symptoms and overall hemodynamic stability. The study aims to establish whether exercise preconditioning serves as a viable therapeutic strategy to reduce long-term heart failure risk in this population.
Who Can Participate?
✓ Inclusion Criteria
- •must be on chronic hemodialysis for at least 3 months
- •age 18 years or older
- •willing and able to provide informed consent
- •assessed to be safe and able to exercise by unit HD Nephrologist
✗ Exclusion Criteria
- •regular vigorous exercise outside of hemodialysis
- •over 79 years of age
- •intradialytic exercise < 3 months
- •poor echogenicity
- •acute coronary syndrome in the past 3 months
- •unstable arrhythmia/angina
- •shortness of breath at rest or with minimal activity
- •symptomatic hypoglycemia (>2x/week in the week prior to enrolment)