title: Physical functioning in patients with chronic kidney disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) treated with dialysis have reduced levels of physical functioning. Little is known of the physical functioning in patients prior to initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT). The purpose of the study was 2-fold: (i) to document physical functioning of patients with CKD not requiring RRT, using objective laboratory tests, physical performance measures and self-reported functioning; and (ii) to determine the correlations between these measures of physical functioning and renal function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two patients with CKD (mean estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 29.9 +/- 17.0) were recruited for the study. Subjects completed symptom-limited treadmill test (peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak]), physical performance measures (gait speed, sit-to-stand and 6-minute walk) and the SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire (physical functioning scale [PF] and physical composite scale [PCS]). Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed on the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VO2peak (O2 17.8 +/- 6.7 ml/kg body weight per minute), physical performance measures and self-reported functioning were reduced compared with sedentary age-predicted norms. Significant correlations were found between VO2peak and all other physical functioning measures; however, only maximal gait speed and PCS correlated significantly with eGFR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with CKD have reduced physical functioning as measured using objective laboratory tests (VO2peak), physical performance measures and self-reported functioning. Given that low physical functioning predicts outcomes in dialysis patients, interventions to maintain or improve physical functioning are warranted prior to initiation of dialysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krasnoff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frassetto
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Painter
mesh_terms: D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine