Handgrip Exercise for Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation

The Effects of Progressive Handgrip Exercise Training on Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation in Chronic Kidney Disease

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether post operative progressive forearm exercise is effective in improving arteriovenous fistula maturation in chronic kidney disease patients.

The arteriovenous fistula is considered to be the gold standard form of access for haemodialysis patients, however only 37% of haemodialysis patients have this form of access. A possible explanation for this could be the high fistula failure rate due to the lack of maturation. Therefore interventions aimed at enhancing fistula maturation are warranted. One such intervention could be forearm exercise, however this recommendation is not evidence based. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether a program of post operative progressive hand grip exercise can improve fistula maturation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Stage 4-5 chronic kidney disease, attending for arteriovenous fistula creation in forearm

Exclusion Criteria:

• Are under the age of 18years;
• Not able to exercise forearm safely (as decided by the patients consultant)
• Have any other uncontrolled medical condition
• Unable to withstand transiently raised systolic blood pressure by 35 mmHg and diastolic by 25 mmHg
• Or are unable to give consent