title: Experimental protocol of a randomized controlled clinical trial investigating the effects of personalized exercise rehabilitation on kidney transplant recipients' outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This randomized controlled trial (RCT) will investigate the effects of a personalized exercise rehabilitation regimen on return to work and find work rate, vascular health, functional capacity, quality of life, kidney function, and body composition in kidney transplant (KT) recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This RCT will recruit 120 men and/or women who have had a KT to participate in a 12 month exercise intervention or control (standard clinical care only) group. The 12 month exercise intervention will consist of one-on-one, progressive exercise rehabilitation sessions twice a week, for 60 min each session. The control group will continue standard clinical care as recommended by their post-transplant medical team without any intervention. The primary outcomes will be assessments of vascular structure and function, walking and strength measures to assess functional capacity, blood markers to assess kidney function, questionnaires to assess quality of life, DXA body scan to assess body composition, and a 1-week free living physical activity assessment. Additionally, employment status will be assessed. These assessments will be performed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation will increase the understanding of the role exercise rehabilitation has on managing the physiological and psychological health of the individual as well as on the individual's personal economic impact (via employment status). This study design has the potential to assist in constructing an effective exercise rehabilitation program that can be incorporated into part of standard post-transplant care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Suite 402, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Integrative Physiology Laboratory, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA. Electronic address: kastelza@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kastelz
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Suite 402, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Ivo G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Tzvetanov
authors.affiliation: Integrative Physiology Laboratory, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernhall
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Nephrology, Northwestern Medical Group, 676 N Saint Clair, Arkes 19th Fl., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Aneesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Nephrology, Northwestern Medical Group, 676 N Saint Clair, Arkes 19th Fl., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Suite 402, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: West-Thielke
authors.affiliation: GhFITLAB, 1730 N. Western Avenue, Bucktown, Chicago, IL 60647, USA.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hachaj
authors.affiliation: GhFITLAB, 1730 N. Western Avenue, Bucktown, Chicago, IL 60647, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grazman
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Suite 402, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedetti
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D062707:Return to Work; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
keywords: Employment; Exercise rehabilitation; Kidney function; Kidney transplant; Physical activity; Vascular health