Health-related physical fitness in patients with multiple myeloma or lymphoma recently treated with autologous stem cell transplantation

Objectives We aimed to examine health-related physical fitness and its demographic and clinical correlates in patients recently treated with autologous stem cell transplantation. Design Cross-sectional study. Methods In 109 patients (multiple myeloma: n = 58, lymphoma: n = 51, median age: 55, range: 19–67 years) maximal exercise testing was conducted to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (VO_2peak). Upper and lower extremity muscle strength were assessed with hand grip- and fixed dynamometry and body composition with whole body DXA scans. In addition, we assessed the patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics and examined whether they were associated with health-related physical fitness. Results VO_2peak was 21.7 (5.5) mL/min/kg, 26% below reference values. Muscle strength was also reduced when compared with reference values (upper extremity: 90%, lower extremity: 80%) and 73% of our population was classified as overweight or obese. Being female and being older were significantly associated with a lower cardiorespiratory fitness (gender: β = −2.7, 95%CI = −4.6;−0.7 mL/min/kg; age: β = −0.2, 95%CI = −0.3;−0.1 mL/min/kg), upper (gender: β = −17.7, 95%CI = −20.1;−15.3 kg; age: β = −0.2, 95%CI = −0.3;−0.1 kg) and lower (gender: β = −58.3, 95%CI = −73.5;− 43.0 Nm; age: β = −1.7, 95%CI = −2.4;−1.1 Nm) extremity muscle strength. Patients who were non-smoking (β = −5.3, 95%CI = −8.7;−1.9), women (β = 7.2, 95%CI = 4.8;9.6) and diagnosed with multiple myeloma (β = 4.6, 95%CI = 2.2;6.9) had a higher percentage body fat. Conclusions The physical fitness deficits in this population indicate the need for targeted interventions. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register - NTR2341