Can cycling transform heart health of patients?

According to a new study, cycling at moderate intensity during dialysis could drastically improve the heart health of patients with kidney failure.

The findings of the study were published in the journal titled 'Kidney International'. The study was led by the University of Leicester supported by the charity Kidney Research UK and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre.

Patients in the study were offered 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on a specially adapted bicycle during their regular dialysis sessions. Dialysis can lead to long-term scarring of the heart, which can accumulate over time and lead to heart failure.

The study set out to examine whether exercise could reduce these side effects. After six months, participants' hearts were assessed with an MRI scan and compared with pre-trial imaging.

Patients who had cycled showed improvements in several aspects of heart health - their hearts were more like a 'normal' size, they had less scarring, and there was less stiffness of the major blood vessels. Analysis of the study also demonstrated a saving in healthcare costs of more than 1,400 pounds per patient which, when balanced against the cost of the exercise equipment, could result in significant savings for the NHS.

Dialysis is a life-saving procedure for people living with kidney failure, removing waste products from the body. More than 24,000 patients in the UK typically undergo hemodialysis therapy three times a week at four hours each time.

A quarter of deaths among hemodialysis patients in the UK between 2009 and 2018 were as a result of cardiovascular disease, according to the UK Renal Registry.

Researchers will now examine the possibilities of a wider rollout of the scheme to benefit patients across the UK, and now forms part of The Renal Association's hemodialysis guidelines.