title: A novel and personalized rehabilitation program for obese kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical rehabilitation programs for kidney transplant recipients are not routinely personalized to patients' physical and emotional health, which could result in a potentially limited health impact, shorter-term participation, and an overall low success rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an internal review board-approved randomized prospective study involving a 12-month supervised multidisciplinary rehabilitation program (GH method) initiated after kidney transplantation in obese recipients (body mass index >30). The new method incorporates 3 major components: physical exercise, behavioral interventions, and nutritional guidance. We compared 9 patients who underwent supervised rehabilitation with 8 patients who underwent standard care. Patients were followed up after the start of the intervention, and multiple assessments were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adherence to training and follow-up was 100% in the intervention group, compared with 25% at 12 months in the control group. There was a trend for a higher glomerular filtration rate in the intervention group compared with the control group (55.5 ± 18.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2) vs 38.8 ± 18.9 mL/min/1.73 m(2), P = .06). The quality of life (SF-36) mean score improved more in the intervention group compared with the control group (583 ± 13 vs 436 ± 22, P = .008). There was a significantly higher employment rate in the intervention group, 77.7% at 12 months compared with 12.5% in the control group (P = .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results suggest that this comprehensive approach to physical rehabilitation can improve adherence, kidney function, quality of life, and employment rate for obese patients after kidney transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tzvetanov
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: West-Thielke
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ladik
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hachaj
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grazman
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: R U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernhall
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Daviglus
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Solaro
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oberholzer
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallon
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Electronic address: enrico@uic.edu.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedetti
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D066027:Transplant Recipients