KINETIC -- Kidney Transplant Improvement Through New Exercise Training to Increase Capacity
University of Pennsylvania
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a home-based exercise program can be safely and feasibly used to improve physical activity and physical function in adults waiting for a kidney transplant. The study will also learn how acceptable and useful this program is for participants. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can a remote exercise program be delivered successfully to people on the kidney transplant waiting list? * Do participants follow the exercise program and wear a physical activity tracker as asked? * Is the program safe and well tolerated? Researchers will compare two groups to see if the exercise program leads to higher physical activity and better physical function: * Usual pre-transplant care with a physical activity tracker * Usual pre-transplant care plus an online exercise program Participants will: * Wear a wrist activity tracker to measure daily physical activity * Complete a one-week baseline period before being assigned to a study group * Be randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) to one of two groups * If assigned to the exercise group, take part in online exercise classes at home for 12 weeks with reminders and feedback, and then another 12 weeks without reminders and feedback * Answer questionnaires about their health, activity, and experience in the study This study may help researchers learn how to better support people waiting for kidney transplant through safe, home-based exercise programs.
Description
Adults with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) awaiting kidney transplantation often experience low physical activity, reduced physical function, and frailty. Poor physical function before transplant is associated with longer hospital stays, higher complication rates, delayed recovery, and worse post-transplant outcomes. Despite these risks, there are few scalable, evidence-based prehabilitation programs designed specifically for kidney transplant candidates. KINETIC (Kidney Transplant Improvement through New Exercise Training to Increase Capacity) is a randomized clinical trial designed t…