Trial reportArthritis research & therapy2025
High-intensity exercise improves multidimensional fatigue and health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled study.
Trial report in Arthritis research & therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05768165 (Expected Health Benefits on Cardiovascular Function, Inflammation and Quality of Life With High-intensity Interval Exercise for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis), which is not on this map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Expected Health Benefits on Cardiovascular Function, Inflammation and Quality of Life With High-intensity Interval Exercise for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Longitudinal fatigue outcomes and prediction in inflammatory arthritis: a real-world digital cohort study.Rheumatology international · 2026Article
- Prospects for Physical Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Literature Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Article
- Fatigue beyond inflammation in inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a narrative review and treatable-traits framework.Rheumatology international · 2026Review
- Shedding light on sexuality in psoriatic arthritis: a 5-year prospective follow-up of an outpatient cohort.Rheumatology international · 2026Article
- Higher steps per day and better diet quality associated with lower symptom burden in adults with HIV: results from the PROSPER-HIV study.Research connections · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundProlonged fatigue is prevalent in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and physical activity is recommended as an adjunct treatment option to managing fatigue. However, the type and dose of physical activity is not established. The purpose of this randomized controlled multicenter study was to evaluate the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength exercise on fatigue, sleep, mood, pain and health-related quality of life in people with RA.
methodsIn total, 87 participants diagnosed with RA, mean age 48 (SD 9.66) Years and 84% females, were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) (n = 43) performing supervised HIIT and strength exercise for 12 weeks, or a control group (n = 44) with counseling of the general physical activity recommendations. Self-administered measures were assessed at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months; the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI 20), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), pain (VAS), health-related quality of life (VAS-global). Disease activity was assessed with the DAS28-ESR. Statistical analyses were performed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and mixed model repeated measure analysis.
resultsAt 3 months, a significant mean group difference in change was found on MFI-20 subscales General fatigue -4.0 (95%CI -5.57 to -2.39), Physical fatigue -4.9 (95%CI -6.43 to -3.36), Reduced activity -2.5 (95%CI -3.84 to -1.20), and Reduced motivation -1.8 (95%CI -2.97 to -0.62), favoring the IG. Additionally, a significant mean group difference in change was seen on VAS-global -12.8 (95%CI -21.3 to -4.3), in favor of the IG. At 6 months follow-up, the significant mean group difference on General fatigue -2.4 (95%CI -3.85 to -0.92), Physical fatigue -3.7 (95%CI -5.25 to -2.10), Reduced activity -2.0 (95%CI -3.53 to -0.39), Reduced motivation -1.6 (95%CI -2.93 to -0.16) and VAS-global -9.2 (95%CI -17.47 to -0.94) persisted. At 12 months follow-up a significant mean group difference was seen on Physical fatigue, depression mood, pain and VAS-global (p-value < 0.05), still in favor of the IG.
conclusionsThe high-intensity exercise intervention had a beneficial effect on multidimensional fatigue, and health-related quality of life in people with RA. The effect on fatigue and health-related quality of life persisted during the 12 months-follow up period indicating long-term effects.
trial registrationThe trial was registered prospectively on "FoU in Sweden" (Research and Development in Sweden), (registration number: 275642), and retrospectively on Trial Gov. (NCT05768165).
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