Supervised Treadmill Intervention to Reduce Inflammation and Depression Through Exercise in HIV: The STRIDE Pilot Study

University of Minnesota22 enrolled

Overview

Depression in people living with HIV is associated with worse care engagement, drug adherence, and higher rates of pre-mature mortality. The prevalence of depression is three times greater in those with HIV than comparable controls. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) enables immune reconstitution, those with depression do worse clinically than those without depression even when controlling for HIV stage. However, treating depression in HIV-infected persons is challenging. Even among those virologically suppressed on ART, a significant percentage are resistant to standard pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy for depression. The reasons for this are complex and poorly understood. An emerging body of evidence indicates that inflammation may perpetuate depression. Given people with HIV have ongoing increased inflammation, this could help explain part of why depression rates are so high in people with HIV. Treatments for HIV-associated depression would likely be more effective if they were anti- inflammatory in nature. One possible treatment is exercise. Exercise is acutely pro-inflammatory due to catabolism but in the long term is anti-inflammatory. However, few studies have investigated exercise as a treatment for HIV-associated depression. The study objective is to perform a feasibility study to evaluate a larger trial evaluating the efficacy of exercise as an intervention for depression in people with HIV.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Depression

Interventions

upfront advice to walkBEHAVIORAL

Control participants will be given upfront advice to walk and also given the wearable activity monitor (Fitbit) and asked to record the total steps achieved each day in a provided log book.

Supervised exerciseBEHAVIORAL

The onsite physiotherapist will also be trained in appropriate supervision and monitoring of exercise therapy in participants with HIV. This training will include titration of the exercise prescription to ensure safe progress is achieved. Participants will be scheduled to come to Mildmay 2 times per week for eight weeks to perform treadmill walking exercise. Intensity will be regulated using 40-60% of heart rate reserve. Additionally, ratings of perceived exertion via the Adult OMNI Walk/Run Scale will be used to guide the intensity of exercise subjectively at a moderate level. The exercise dose participants complete are standard prescriptions for participants with HIV, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.19 The physiotherapist will document the total steps achieved, including the supervised treadmill sessions and activity completed outside the supervised exercise setting (provided by participants via a log book).

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 45 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Enrolled in Mildmay HIV clinic * Adults 18-45 years old * HIV positive * Receiving HIV therapy * HIV viral suppression (\<400 copies/mL) per chart review * Mild to Moderate (PHQ9 score \>5 but \>20) * Not currently engaged in a formal exercise program or manual labor such as construction or delivery requiring a manual bike or walking * Able to walk/run on a treadmill * Informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Women pregnant or breastfeeding * Suicidal (PHQ-9 question 9 score \>2) or Severely Depressed (PHQ-9 score \>20) * Uncontrolled hypertension (≥180 systolic or ≥100 diastolic blood pressure) * Lower limb orthopedic limitations (e.g. amputations, arthritis) * Resting heart rate \>90/min * Known atherosclerotic or non-atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease. * Exercise intolerance due to other known medical condition(s) which may make it unsafe for the patients to participate in.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Percent completion of the prescribed aerobic exercise intervention

assessed by research staff logging participation

Time frame: 8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

acceptability of the intervention

assessed via post intervention survey

Time frame: 8 weeks

feasibility of using a wearable exercise tracker 2

calories burned during the intervention period among Ugandans with HIV and depression

Time frame: 8 weeks

feasibility of using a wearable exercise tracker 1

assess the volume of exercise based on steps achieved, during the intervention period among Ugandans with HIV and depression

Time frame: 8 weeks

effect size

\- measure the mean and standard deviation of baseline and 8-week serum BDNF level to estimate an effect size