The Preventive Role of Physical Activity in Systemic Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Correlation with Clinical Parameters and Disease Progression

Cristina Antinozzi, Elisa Grazioli, Maria De Santis, Francesca Motta, Paolo Sgrò, Federico Mari, Caterina Mauri, Attilio Parisi, Daniela Caporossi, Guglielmo Duranti, Roberta Ceci, Luigi Di Luigi and Ivan Dimauro ()
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Cristina Antinozzi: Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Elisa Grazioli: Unit of Physical Exercise and Sport Sciences, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Maria De Santis: IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital—Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
Francesca Motta: IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital—Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
Paolo Sgrò: Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Federico Mari: Unit of Bioengineering and Neuromechanics of Movement, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Caterina Mauri: Unit of Physical Exercise and Sport Sciences, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Attilio Parisi: Unit of Physical Exercise and Sport Sciences, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Daniela Caporossi: Unit of Biology and Human Genetic, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Guglielmo Duranti: Unit of Biochemistry of Movement, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Roberta Ceci: Unit of Biochemistry of Movement, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Luigi Di Luigi: Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Ivan Dimauro: Unit of Biology and Human Genetic, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: Although exercise is associated with improved health in many medical conditions, little is known about the possible influences of physical activity (PA) habits pre- and post- a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) on disease activity and progression. This cross-sectional study assessed, for the first time, self-reported pre- and post-diagnostic PA levels with the aim to verify if changes in these levels were correlated with demographic/anthropometric data (e.g., weight, height, gender, age, BMI), disease duration, diagnostic/clinical parameters (e.g., skin involvement, pulmonary hemodynamic/echocardiographic data, disease activity) related to disease activity and progression, and quality of life in a population-based sample of patients with SSc. Adult participants ( n = 34, age 56.6 ± 13.3 years) with SSc (limited cutaneous SSc, lcSSc, n = 20; diffuse cutaneous SSc, dcSSc, n = 9; sine scleroderma SSc, n = 5) were enrolled at the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology of the Humanitas Research Hospital. All medical data were recorded during periodic clinical visits by a rheumatologist. Moreover, all subjects included in this study completed extensive questionnaires to evaluate their health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and others related to health-related physical activity performed before (PRE) and after (POST) the diagnosis of disease. The linear regression analysis has shown that either a high Sport_index or Leisure_index in the PRE-diagnostic period was correlated with lower disease duration in dcSSc patients. Physical load during sport activity and leisure time accounted for ~61.1% and ~52.6% of the individual variation in disease duration, respectively. In lcSSc patients, a high PRE value related to physical load during sporting activities was correlated with a low pulmonary artery systolic pressure (sPAP) and the POST value of the Work_index was positively correlated with the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and negatively with creatine kinase levels (CK). Interestingly, the univariate analysis showed that Work_index accounts for ~29.4% of the variance in LVEF. Our analysis clearly reinforces the concept that high levels of physical load may play a role in primary prevention—delaying the onset of the disease in those subjects with a family history of SSc—as well as in secondary prevention, improving SSc management through a positive impact on different clinical parameters of the disease. However, it remains a priority to identify a customized physical load in order to minimize the possible negative effects of PA.

Keywords: physical activity; systemic sclerosis; quality of life; oxidative stress; inflammation; prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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