Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Aerobic exercise capacity is reduced in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the magnitude of changes in exercise capacity over time is less known. Our main hypothesis was that aerobic ExCap would decline over 5 years in individuals with mild-to-moderate CKD along with a decline in renal function. A secondary hypothesis was that such a decline in ExCap would be associated with a decline in muscle strength, cardiovascular function and physical activity.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>We performed a 5-year-prospective study on individuals with mild-to-moderate CKD, who were closely monitored at a nephrology clinic. Fiftytwo individuals with CKD stage 2–3 and 54 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Peak workload was assessed through a maximal cycle exercise test. Muscle strength and lean body mass, cardiac function, vascular stiffness, self-reported physical activity level, renal function and haemoglobin level were evaluated. Tests were repeated after 5 years. Statistical analysis of longitudinal data was performed using linear mixed models.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Exercise capacity did not change significantly over time in either the CKD group or controls, although the absolute workloads were significantly lower in the CKD group. Only in a CKD subgroup reporting low physical activity at baseline, exercise capacity declined. Renal function decreased in both groups, with a larger decline in CKD (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.05 between groups). Peak heart rate, haemoglobin level, handgrip strength, lean body mass and cardiovascular function did not decrease significantly over time in CKD individuals.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>On a group level, aerobic exercise capacity and peak heart rate were maintained over 5 years in patients with well-controlled mild-to-moderate CKD, despite a slight reduction in glomerular filtration rate. In line with the maintained exercise capacity, cardiovascular and muscular function were also preserved. In individuals with mild-to-moderate CKD, physical activity level at baseline seems to have a predictive value for exercise capacity at follow-up.</jats:p></jats:sec>