title: Aerobic training in a patient with nonsevere aplastic anemia: a case report.
abstract: This case report examined whether a 26-year-old man with a 5-year history of nonsevere aplastic anemia could perform aerobic training and whether exercise was beneficial. Testing was performed at baseline and at 8 and 16 weeks and included complete blood tests, graded exercise tests with breath-by-breath gas analyses, and health status assessment with the Medical Outcomes Survey SF-12 health survey. Training consisted of treadmill walking for 25 minutes, 3 days a week for 16 weeks, at 75% of maximal heart rate. The patient successfully completed 16 weeks of training and had no adverse effects from testing or training. Training did not produce changes in disease-related measures (hematologic values) or impairment measures (cardiopulmonary measures of fitness). The mental component of the SF-12 improved from below 2 standard deviations from the population mean to within 1 standard deviation of the population mean. The benefits of aerobic training for this person with aplastic anemia were that he showed that he could participate in aerobic-type activities and that training appeared to improve his mental health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Beaver College, Glenside, PA 19038-3295, USA.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Mangione
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male