Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
This study aims to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise therapy on quality of life, functional capacity, mood, and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, the study investigates the impact of aerobic exercise on inflammatory markers, pain, and disease activity.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation, pain, and functional limitations. Exercise therapy is widely used in rehabilitation to improve functional capacity and quality of life in RA patients.
In this study, patients with low disease activity RA will be divided into two groups:
Standard medical treatment + education Standard medical treatment + education + aerobic exercise
The aerobic exercise program will be conducted 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Outcomes including functional capacity (VO2 max), quality of life, fatigue, mood, and inflammatory markers will be assessed before and after the intervention.
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Active Comparator | Standard medical treatment Patient education |
|
| Aerobic Exercise Group | Experimental | Standard medical treatment Patient education Aerobic exercise program |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Medical Care (SMC) | Other | Standard medical treatment |
|
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Questionnaire | RAQoL is a disease-specific instrument consisting of 30 items scored as yes/no. Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating poorer quality of life. The Turkish version has established validity and reliability. | Baseline and at the end of 6 weeks (42th day) |
| Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) | HAQ evaluates functional ability in daily living activities using 20 items. Each item is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (unable to perform). The final score is calculated as the average of item scores, ranging from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating worse functional status. | Baseline and at the end of 6 weeks (42th day) |
| Functional Capacity (Cardiopulmonary Fitness) | VOâ‚‚ max (mL/kg/min) is measured using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer. It is considered the gold standard for assessing aerobic capacity. | Baseline and at the end of 6 weeks (42th day) |
| 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) | The 6MWT evaluates submaximal exercise capacity. Participants are instructed to walk as far as possible within 6 minutes on a 30-meter corridor. Total walking distance (meters) is recorded. Higher distances indicate better functional capacity. | Baseline and at the end of 6th week (42th day) |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) | BDI is a 21-item self-reported questionnaire assessing depressive symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating more severe depression. | Baseline and at the end of 6 weeks (42th day) |
| Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) |
Not provided
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vural KAVUNCU, Prof. Dr. | Contact | 002742600043 | vural.kavuncu@ksbu.edu.tr |
Not provided
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kutahya Health Sciences University | Kütahya | 43000 | Turkey (Türkiye) |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D012216 | Rheumatic Diseases |
| D010146 | Pain |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009140 | Musculoskeletal Diseases |
| D003240 | Connective Tissue Diseases |
| D017437 | Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases |
| D009461 | Neurologic Manifestations |
Not provided
Not provided
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D010353 | Patient Education as Topic |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D006266 | Health Education |
| D011314 | Preventive Health Services |
| D006296 | Health Services |
| D005159 | Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Patient Education | Other | Patient education |
|
| Aerobic Exercise Group | Other | Frequency: 5 days/week Duration: 6 weeks (30 sessions) Exercise intensity: 50-70% of Wmax Includes warm-up, aerobic phase, and cool-down |
|
FSS is a 9-item scale assessing fatigue severity using Likert-type responses. Higher scores indicate greater fatigue severity. |
| Baseline and after 6 weeks |
| Visual analogue Scale for pain | Pain intensity is measured on a 10 cm visual analog scale, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst possible pain. | Baseline and at the end of 6th week (42th day) |
| Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS-28) | DAS-28 is a composite index including tender/swollen joint count, ESR or CRP levels, and patient global assessment. Lower scores indicate lower disease activity. | Baseline and at the end of 6 weeks (42th day) |
| Inflammatory Markers | C-reactive protein (CRP) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) | Baseline and at the end of 6 weeks (42th day) |
| The Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Questionnaire | RAQoL is a disease-specific questionnaire consisting of 30 yes/no items. Scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating poorer quality of life. | Baseline and at the end of 6th weeks (42th day) |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |