The influence of mindfulness meditation combined with progressive muscle relaxation training on the clinical efficacy and quality of life of patients with sarcopenia receiving haemodialysis: a randomised controlled trial.

Adding mindfulness meditation and progressive muscle relaxation to standard dialysis care improved exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with sarcopenia on maintenance haemodialysis. After 12 weeks, the intervention group showed significant gains in sit-to-stand test, handgrip strength, and time to 10 sit-ups compared with controls. Scores on multiple dimensions of the KDQOL, including physical function, role-physical, general health, energy, and emotional well-being, also improved. Inflammatory markers interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein decreased, while albumin and prealbumin levels increased. The combined training can improve motor ability and quality of life within a short period.

Study at a glance

Abstract

To study the effect of mindfulness meditation combined with progressive muscle relaxation training on the clinical efficacy and quality of life in patients with sarcopenia receiving maintenance haemodialysis (MHD). Eligible patients with sarcopenia in our hospital were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 24) and an intervention group (n = 25). The control group received conventional dialysis treatment, while the intervention group underwent mindfulness meditation combined with progressive muscle relaxation training during the interdialysis period in addition to conventional dialysis treatment. The effect of the intervention was evaluated after 12 weeks. There were no significant differences in the baseline values of various parameters between the two groups. Exercise capacity (sit-to-stand test,handgrip,time to 10 sit-ups) significantly improved in the intervention group after 12 weeks (32.68 ± 8.32 vs 26.50 ± 6.83; 37.42 ± 10.12 vs 28.12 ± 8.51; 19.8 ± 5.40 vs 25.29 ± 7.18) (p 0.05). When compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in 10 dimensions of exercise capacity and KDQOLTM scores for physical function, role-physical, general health, energy, symptom/problem list, sleep, DSE, pain, cognitive function, emotional well-being and patient PS after 12 weeks (61.30 ± 5.38 vs 42.98 ± 5.73; 57.50 ± 3.55 vs 50.70 ± 3.62) (p < 0.05). Some inflammatory markers, such as the levels of interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (30.29 ± 2.96 vs 17.65 ± 3.22; 8.93 ± 0.99 vs 3.02 ± 0.34), showed a decrease during the intervention, while albumin and prealbumin levels were significantly increased compared with the baseline (30.62 ± 1.65 vs 35.60 ± 1.68; 0.32 ± 0.05 vs 0.44 ± 0.07) (p < 0.05). Combined intervention training can improve the motor ability and quality of life of patients with sarcopenia within a short period of time.