Effects of physical exercise on HCV chronic active hepatitis patients

ABSTRACT

Infection with HCV shows a high prevalence in our country and often becomes chronic and proceeds to a state of chronic active hepatitis, a condition which is not easy to treat and almost always end up in liver cirrhosis as well as a high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the this work was to study the effect of regular physical exercise over a period of 6 weeks on some parameters usually used to evaluate the liver condition and the activity of the disease. Patients were randomized into 3 groups; Group I 20 patients with chronic active hepatitis due to infection with HCV and showed a significant reduction in ALT and AST levels over the period of the exercise program. Group II 20 patients with decompensated liver condition due to HCV infection with at least one of the manifestations of liver cell failure and exhibited a bad exercise tolerance with non-significant changes in their laboratory data. Group III 20 patients with compensated HCV liver disease were not included in the exercise program and were considered as a control group. It was concluded that physical exercise was well tolerated by HCV chronic active hepatitis patients and may be of benefit while in decompensated patients physical exercise should be restricted as much as possible