The Effect of Exercise on Disease Activity and Cardiovascular Risk for Patients With Axial SpondyloArthritis (ESpA)

Diakonhjemmet Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Axial Spondyloarthritis

Treatments: Behavioral: Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02356874

97026: The ESpA study

Details and patient eligibility

About

The overall aim of this multicenter randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate if exercise can modify the disease course and prevent comorbidity in patient with spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Full description

International guidelines recommend exercise as a cornerstone in the management of SpA. Due to the typical features of SpA with reduced spinal mobility, the main focus for exercise has been flexibility exercise. Exercise trials for this patient group have mainly aimed at improving spinal mobility and there is limited evidence of the potential effects of exercise on disease pathogenesis and CVD risk factors.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Diagnosis of axial SpA (the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society classification criteria) confirmed by a rheumatologist
2. Age, 18-70 -years
3. Steady medication for ≥3 months
4. Moderate disease activity defined as a BASDAI score of ≥3.5 or a patient global score ≥3.5
5. Not participated in a structured endurance and strength exercise program during the last 6 months (>1 hour/week)

Exclusion criteria

1. Severe co-morbidity which involves reduced exercise capacity and/or contraindications for physical activity as per American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for exercise testing
2. Not able to participate in weekly exercises sessions
3. Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

Exercise group

Experimental group

Description:

Exercise

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exercise

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the control group will be asked to continue their usual physical activity habits