Effectiveness of a structural exercise program on six minutes walk distance in patients with stage 3 and 4 sarcoidosis- A randomized control trial

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of an exercise program on six minutes walk distance in patients with stage 3 and 4 sarcoidosis. Method: 18 patients who had stage 3 and 4 sarcoidosis were admitted to receive 12 weeks of supervised exercise training or usual care. Six minutes walk test, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, back and leg dynomemeter test, Modify Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire, Short Form-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Questionnaire, body plethysmography and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity test and blood gases analysis were performed at baseline and after follow-up. Results: The median (interquartile range) increase in six minute walk distance in intervention group was 40(31-62) meters. Improvement in exercise capacity, perception of dyspnea, fatigue, anxiety, peripheral and inspiratory muscle strength, partial arterial oxygen pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, symptom, activity and total scores of SGRQ were significantly more in intervention group after follow up(p Conclusion: Exercise training results in improvement in exercise capacity, muscle strength, dyspnea, quality of life, anxiety, fatique and oxygenation in patients with stage 3 and 4 sarcoidosis. So we suggest that exercise training should take place in standart treatment of these patients.