Cardiorespiratory Function Following Aerobic Exercise Training in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The vast majority (~80%) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) report severe, debilitating fatigue and studies have suggested that SLE-fatigue associates with decreased cardiorespiratory function in these patients. Conversely, there has been inconsistency regarding the influence of exercise training on cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with SLE. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a vigorous 12-week aerobic exercise training regimen (AET) on cardiorespiratory function and functional aerobic impairment (FAI) in women with SLE. METHODS: Sixteen women (age: 42 ± 10 years) with SLE (SELENA-SLEDAI <4) participated in supervised AET on the treadmill for 12 weeks at an intensity of 70 to 80% of heart rate reserve. The thrice-weekly sessions were 30 minutes in duration. All subjects completed a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) before and after completion of exercise training. FAI was calculated as the percent difference between observed V̇O2 peak and predicted VO2 peak based on age, sex, and activity status. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare FAI scores before and after AET. RESULTS: There was a significant (p = 0.01) improvement in peak VO2 after AET (pre: 21.7 ml/kg/min ± 3.5; post: 23.1 ml/kg/min ± 3.8). FAI was observed in 25% of participants at baseline. However, a significant improvement in group FAI score (p = 0.01) was observed after AET (pre: 20.1% ± 12; post: 14.9% ± 11.5). Of the participants with FAI at baseline, 75% improved FAI classification after participating in AET. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that 12 weeks of supervised AET may improve cardiorespiratory function in patients with SLE and possibly reverse FAI in some of these patients. Funding: NIH/IRP ZIA CL060096