Increasing the level of physical exercise may help reduce frailty in patients with the most common form of leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a new study from the University of Surrey. The discovery of a link between frailty and “good cholesterol” (high-density lipoprotein (HDL)) could help identify those most at risk.
In the first study of its kind, researchers from the University of Surrey and Duke University Medical Center found that higher levels of HDL were directly associated with better physical fitness in patients, thereby reducing their risk of fragility. Known factors that increase HDL levels are a healthy diet and increased physical activity and exercise.
CLL is a type of cancer associated with a decline in major body systems, which decreases survival rates due to risks of infection, hospitalization and secondary malignancies. These risks are increased by low physical condition which predisposes patients to higher risks of frailty, which in turn is predictive of poor survival rates in people with CLL.
Dr David Bartlett, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Immunology at the University of Surrey and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, said:
“Physical decline is more common in people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia than in those with any other blood cancer, suggesting that this is the likely cause of this deterioration. Stopping or even slowing this physical decline will reduce the patient’s risk of frailty and improve their chances of survival.
“It is important to identify those at risk and provide them with the support they need; however, until now we had no way of knowing. »
In this unique study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 106 CLL patients and assessed their physical condition by completing a questionnaire and physical performance tests (six-minute walk test, walking speed, station standing on a chair, grip strength and balance tests).
It was also found that higher levels of citrate and lower levels of hemoglobin in the blood were more likely to be found in patients with poor physical health.
The researchers also found that patients who had been living with the disease for many years and those who had received treatment were more likely to have poor aerobic fitness and function, which predisposed them to an increased risk of frailty.
High density lipoprotein removes cholesterol and brings it back to the liver. When its level is low, cholesterol is used by cancer cells, which increases the risk of developing a secondary disease and decreases the chances of survival.
Exercise is a simple way to increase the level of good cholesterol in the body. With this information, we can monitor levels in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and provide support to those who need it. »
Dr David Bartlett, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Immunology, University of Surrey.
This study was published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology.
Source :
Journal reference:
Sitlinger, A., et al. (2022) Associations of clinical and circulating metabolic biomarkers with low fitness and function in adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Frontiers of oncology. doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.933619.