title: Influence of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Renal Function in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease in a One-Year Follow-Up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exercise training may improve renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The effect of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) with exercise training on renal function has not yet been established. We evaluated the effects of CR on renal function in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three CVD patients in a 1-year CR program (CR group) who had ischemic heart disease (IHD) and/or heart failure were compared with 26 age- and gender-matched CVD patients without CR (non-CR group, standard pharmacological care alone). At baseline and after 1 year, urea nitrogen (UN), creatinine (Cr), potassium (K), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and hematocrit (Hct) in blood were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in the patient characteristics at baseline between the CR and non-CR groups except for the percentages of heart failure and the use of calcium channel blocker. After 1 year, there were no significant changes in UN, Cr, K, eGFR or Hct in either the CR or non-CR groups. The patients in the CR group were divided into two groups according to the eGFR level at baseline: low (n = 12, eGFR < 51 mL/minute/1.73 m2, indicating mild-to-moderate CKD) and high (n = 11, eGFR ≥ 51 mL/minute/1.73 m2) eGFR groups. Although there were no differences in the patient characteristics at baseline between the low and high eGFR groups, the low eGFR group showed a significant increase in eGFR after the 1-year CR program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CR may improve renal function in patients with mild-to-moderate CKD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Molecular Cardiovascular Therapeutics, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichiro
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaino
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horita
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuhei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Molecular Cardiovascular Therapeutics, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saku
keywords: Cardiac rehabilitation; Estimated glomerular filtration rate; Exercise training; Renal function