NCT07303179

Exercise Rehabilitation for Functional Impairment in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients

A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Study on the Evaluation of Functional Impairment and the Promotion of Exercise Rehabilitation Standards in Maintenance Hemodialysis (MHD) Patients

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (actual)
• Sponsor: The First People's Hospital of Yunnan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 74 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) is the main treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Although dialysis prolongs survival, many patients experience reduced physical function, poor quality of life, and higher risks of hospitalization and death. Lack of exercise often leads to muscle weakness and disability, further burdening patients, families, and healthcare systems. Rehabilitation medicine has shown promise in improving outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease. Chinese experts have developed the "Standards for Rehabilitation Services in CKD Patients," which outline goals, procedures, and safety measures for exercise interventions. Based on these Standards, this study will evaluate the effects of structured exercise rehabilitation techniques (ERT) during routine dialysis. This multicenter, randomized controlled trial will enroll 800 patients from 15 dialysis centers in China, including 40 patients at The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to an intervention group (dialysis plus ERT) or a control group (dialysis only). ERT includes warm-up, core resistance and cycling exercises, and relaxation, performed 3 times per week for 20-60 minutes per session over 2 years. The study will assess whether ERT can improve muscle strength, walking distance, psychological health, nutritional and cognitive status, and overall quality of life. Hospitalization and mortality will also be recorded as clinical outcomes. Results will provide scientific evidence for the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of promoting standardized exercise rehabilitation in MHD patients.

Conditions

• End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
• Maintenance Hemodialysis (MHD)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Exercise Rehabilitation Therapy (ERT)	The intervention follows the "Standards for Rehabilitation Services in CKD Patients" and applies structured exercise rehabilitation therapy (ERT) in addition to routine maintenance hemodialysis. The ERT program includes three phases: Warm-up exercises (e.g., stretching, limb flexion/extension, leg raises), Core exercises (e.g., upper-limb resistance training, bedside cycling), Relaxation exercises (e.g., whole-body stretching). Each session will last 20-60 minutes, three times per week, for a total of two years.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-01
• Primary completion: 2027-06-01
• Completion: 2027-06-30
• First posted: 2025-12-24
• Last updated: 2026-02-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China