Effects of a Home-Based Lifestyle Intervention Program on Cardiometabolic Health in Breast Cancer Survivors during the COVID-19 Lockdown

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine Vol. 10; no. 12; p. 2678
• Main Authors: Natalucci, Valentina, Marini, Carlo Ferri, Flori, Marco, Pietropaolo, Francesca, Lucertini, Francesco, Annibalini, Giosuè, Vallorani, Luciana, Sisti, Davide, Saltarelli, Roberta, Villarini, Anna, Monaldi, Silvia, Barocci, Simone, Catalano, Vincenzo, Rocchi, Marco Bruno Luigi, Benelli, Piero, Stocchi, Vilberto, Barbieri, Elena, Emili, Rita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 17.06.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Clinical medicine; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; Exercise; Heart rate; Insulin resistance; Intervention; Lifestyles; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Metabolic syndrome; Mortality; Nutrition research; Oncology; Pandemics; Patients; Physical fitness; Shelter in place; Italy; COVID-19; cardiotoxicity; cardiovascular fitness; home-based lifestyle intervention; Mediterranean diet; heart rate variability; secondary and tertiary prevention; exercise; breast cancer survivors
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm10122678

This study aimed to evaluate the cardiometabolic effects of a home-based lifestyle intervention (LI) in breast cancer survivors (BCSs) during the COVID-19 lockdown. In total, 30 BCSs (women; stages 0-II; non-metastatic; aged 53.5 ± 7.6 years; non-physically active; normal left ventricular systolic function) with a risk factor for recurrence underwent a 3-month LI based on nutrition and exercise. Anthropometrics, Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity level (PAL), cardiorespiratory fitness ( O ), echocardiographic parameters, heart rate variability (average standard deviation of NN intervals (ASDNN/5 min) and 24 h very- (24 hVLF) and low-frequency (24 hLF)), and metabolic, endocrine, and inflammatory serum biomarkers (glycemia, insulin resistance, progesterone, testosterone, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)) were evaluated before (T0) and after (T1) the LI. After the LI, there were improvements in: body mass index (kg/m : T0 = 26.0 ± 5.0, T1 = 25.5 ± 4.7; = 0.035); diet (Mediet score: T0 = 6.9 ± 2.3, T1 = 8.8 ± 2.2; < 0.001); PAL (MET-min/week: T0 = 647 ± 547, T1 = 1043 ± 564; < 0.001); O (mL·min ·kg : T0 = 30.5 ± 5.8, T1 = 33.4 ± 6.8; < 0.001); signs of diastolic dysfunction (participants: T0 = 15, T1 = 10; = 0.007); AS-DNN/5 min (ms: T0 = 50.6 ± 14.4, T1 = 55.3 ± 16.7; = 0.032); 24 hLF (ms : T0 = 589 ± 391, T1 = 732 ± 542; = 0.014); glycemia (mg/dL: T0 = 100.8 ± 11.4, T1 = 91.7 ± 11.0; < 0.001); insulin resistance (HOMA-IR score: T0 = 2.07 ± 1.54, T1 = 1.53 ± 1.11; = 0.005); testosterone (ng/mL: T0 = 0.34 ± 0.27, T1 = 0.24 ± 0.20; = 0.003); hs-CRP (mg/L: T0 = 2.18 ± 2.14, T1 = 1.75 ± 1.74; = 0.027). The other parameters did not change. Despite the home-confinement, LI based on exercise and nutrition improved cardiometabolic health in BCSs.