Background/Purpose: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) present low physical capacity when compared to healthy controls. In addition to chronotropic incompetence during exercise, slow recovery of post-exertion heart rate and lower values of maximal strength and muscle function are found in SLE when compared with healthy controls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the habitual physical activity measured by the Baecke questionnaire and evaluate performance during maximal exercise in SLE patients and healthy controls.

Methods: Thirty one women with SLE, who met the ACR criteria of 1997 and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics criteria of 2012, and 24 healthy women,who were matched by sex, age and body mass index,participated in this study. All participants answered the Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire (Baecke). This questionnaire is a reminder instrument of the last 12 months, comprising 16 questions and addressing magnitudes such as occupational physical activity (8 questions), physical exercise in leisure (4 questions) and physical leisure and locomotor physical activity (4 questions). The participants were submitted to a maximal exercise test on a motorized treadmill, with increases in velocity every minute until exhaustion in order to assess velocity (km/h), heart rate, Borg scale (6-20) and the reason to interrupting the test (fatigue and/or dyspnea). The test was considered maximal if it reached at least 90% of the maximum heart rate (by the formula 220-age) or reached values of 19 to 20 in the Borg scale.

Results: The evaluation of the habitual physical activity by Baecke questionnaire revealed no significant differences between groups regarding to occupational (p=0.506), sports activity (p=0.945) and physical leisure domains (p=0.904). Half of the controls walked 16 to 30 min/day, while only 22.6% of SLE patients walked the same time. In the maximal exercise test, the control group presented a higher mean maximum heart rate (p=0.001)and maximum velocity (p=0.002). The main reason for discontinuing the test was the occurrence of dyspnea in both, controls and SLE patients (66.67% vs 46.43%).

Conclusion: During the exercise test, the maximum heart rate and maximum velocity reached during the test was lower in SLE patients than the controls. These results suggest cardiorespiratory capacity impairment and low tolerance to physical effort in SLE patients.

« Back to 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/assessment-of-habitual-physical-activity-and-performance-during-maximal-exercise-test-in-systemic-lupus-erythematosus-patients/