Effects of supervised aerobic exercise in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A pilot study

Introduction It has been well documented that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can improve their strength and aerobic capacity through exercise, without exacerbating their symptoms or disease activity (1). Recent controlled studies also indicate that this is the case for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and that exercise might be followed by improvements in cardiovascular capacity and physical function (2–7). In these studies the outcome variables were assessed before and after a period of exercise. However, the question of whether exercise can induce disease flares and exacerbate symptoms during the exercise period, for instance at the start of the period, is clinically relevant and has not been investigated. The purpose of the present study was therefore to closely explore disease activity, symptoms, and physical function during a 3-month supervised aerobic exercise program and 3 months afterwards. The hypotheses were that aerobic exercise performed on a treadmill does not increase disease activity or symptoms at any time during an exercise period and that physical function would improve after exercise.