Effect of Exercise With Virtual Reality in Hemodialysis Patients

Background. An increase in inflammatory biomarkers is associated with impaired kidney function and increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Physical exercise has been shown to improve the functional capacity and inflammatory status of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment, increasing their health-related quality of life. Virtual reality (VR) is an effective and safe tool to increase patient adherence to the exercise program, however, there are very few studies that analyze its effect on the functional capacity of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in HD and none analyze its effect on the inflammatory state of these patients, which justifies the performance of this study.Methods. Eighty patients with CKD on HD treatment will be randomly assigned into two groups, one of them will perform an intradialysis exercise program with non-immersive VR (intervention group; n=40), and the other will not perform exercise (control group; n). =40). The functional capacity of the patients and their inflammatory and psychological status will be analyzed by determining functional variables and inflammatory biomarkers before and after the VR exercise program.

Inclusion Criteria:Patients will have to have undergone hemodialysis treatment for at least three months and must be in a stable clinical situation.Exclusion Criteria:Having suffered a myocardial infarction in the previous 6 weeks.Present unstable angina on exercise or at rest.Amputation of lower limbs above the knee without prosthesis.Cerebral vascular disease such as stroke or transient ischemia.Musculoskeletal or respiratory disorders that worsen with exercise.Impossibility of carrying out functional tests.