AEROBIC CAPACITY AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN FEMALES WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background: Studies indicate that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have decreased aerobic capacity and rate their health-related quality of life lower than healthy people do. It is not known whether decreased aerobic capacity effects health-related quality of life.Objectives: The present aim was to test aerobic capacity and health-related quality of life and their inter-relationships, in females with SLE later randomised for participation in a controlled exercise study.Methods: Forty women with SLE in a stable, low active phase, mean age 52.4 years (SD 10.2) and mean disease duration 18.5 years (SD 12.1) were included. The median disease activity on the SLE-DAI score was 1.5 (range 0-14).Aerobic capacity was investigated with bicycle ergometer exercise tests to determine maximum voluntary oxygen uptake (VO2 max, ml/kg/min). The short-form health survey 36 (SF-36) was used for assessing health-related quality of life.Results: Of thirty-eight patients performing the exercise test, 33 completed it to exhaustion. Reasons for non-completion were, leg muscle fatigue (n=2), xerostomia (n=2), respiration reaction or asthmatic attack (n=2) and in one patient a pathological ECG-reaction. Seventeen of those tested to exhaustion had a very low VO2 max (range 11.4-24.2, ml/kg/min), fifteen had a low VO2 max (range 18-38.7 ml/kg/min) and only one had a normal (24.2 ml/kg/min) VO2 max for her age. The 33 patients discontinued the test for one or more of the following reasons: general fatigue, leg muscle fatigue, respiration reaction, xerostomia, and other. Compared to normal values for females, our SF-36 scores indicated 76.7% for physical functioning, 66.7% for physical role function, 79.6% for bodily pain, 62.1% for general health, 64.5% for vitality, 79% for social functioning, 72.4% for emotional role and 85.4% for mental health. There was a moderate to good correlation between VO2 max and the SF-36 physical function subscale (rp=0.67). No other correlations (r >0.30) between VO2 max and SF-36 were found.Conclusion: Women with SLE had a low aerobic capacity for their age. This might influence their physical functioning. Females with SLE also rate their health-related quality of life lower than healthy females, which confirms earlier studies. Thus, aerobic conditioning might be of benefit and improve aspects of quality of life.Citation: , volume , supplement , year 2002, page Session: Allied Health Professionals in Rheumatology