Introduction:

Scientific evidence is greater on the benefits of physical exercise programs to improve functional capacity and health-related quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease. However, implementing these programs is not an easy task.

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of a home physical exercise program on hand grip strength, functional capacity and quality of life in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease in stages 4-5.

Material and Method:

Prospective experimental study. The patients performed a complete home exercise program of 3 weekly sessions for 12 weeks. The main data analyzed were manual dynamometry, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test, and the EuroQoL 5D questionnaire to assess quality of life.

Results:

Sixty-two patients were included, 34 men and with a mean age of 67.4±14.9 years. The 4-meter gait speed increased by 0.18 m/s (95%CI: 0.08-0.28). The SPPB results increased by 1.4 points (95%CI: 0.6-2.2 points). No significant changes were observed either in manual dynamometry (from 26.1 to 26.4Kg) or in health-related quality of life (from 67.8 to 71.3 points).

Conclusion:

A 12-week home physical exercise program was safe and improved the functional capacity of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease in stages 4-5.