TOPLINE:
Exercise with weight machines or elastic resistance bands yielded similar improvements in strength and function in adults with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) after 12 weeks.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers recruited 41 adults aged 18-65 years with PsA who were then randomized to a functional training group (FT) or a resistance exercise group (RE) for 12 weeks of twice-weekly, 55-minute sessions under the supervision of a physical trainer.
- Functional training involved the use of elastic bands to work upper body, lower body, and trunk muscles including the biceps, triceps, back quadriceps, glutes, and hips; the RE used weight machines instead of bands.
- Participants were evaluated at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks of training sessions; the primary outcome was functional status based on the Health Assessment Questionnaire for the Spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-S).
- Secondary outcomes included the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) to assess functional capacity, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) to assess disease activity, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) to measure quality of life.
TAKEAWAY:
- Participants in both groups showed significant improvement from baseline on the primary outcome measure, with no significant differences between the groups on the primary outcome of function or secondary measures of function and disease activity after 12 weeks.
- Significant intragroup changes occurred between times for both groups on the HAQ-S, BASFI, BASDAI, and DAS28 (P = .001, .007, .001, and .001, respectively).
- Improvement in quality of life was significant from baseline and similar between the FT and RE, with the exception of the “social aspects” domain, for which only the FT showed significant improvement.
- No intervention-related adverse events were reported in either group.
IN PRACTICE:
Despite the absence of consensus guidelines on the use and effectiveness of FT and RE, “we can conclude that both FT and RE have similar effectiveness in improving functional capacity, functional status, disease activity, general quality of life, and muscle strength in patients with psoriatic arthritis,” the researchers wrote.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Diego Roger Silva, MD, of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil, and published online in Advances in Rheumatology.
LIMITATIONS:
The study population was recruited from outpatient clinics, and the mean age of 52 years was higher than in previous studies; the study also lacked long-term follow-up data.
DISCLOSURES:
The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.