Results Overall , exercise intolerance is prevalent in pediatric chronic disease .
Background Physical activity ( PA ) is associated with a diverse range of health benefits .
International guidelines suggest that children should be participating in a minimum of 60 min of moderate to vigorous intensity PA per day to achieve these benefits .
However , current guidelines are intended for healthy children , and thus may not be applicable to children with a chronic disease .
Specifically , the dose of PA and disease specific exercise considerations are not included in these guidelines , leaving such children with few , if any , evidence -based informed suggestions pertaining to PA .
Thus , the purpose of this narrative review was to consider current literature in the area of exercise as medicine and provide practical applications for exercise in five prevalent pediatric chronic diseases : respiratory , congenital heart , metabolic , systemic inflammatory/autoimmune , and cancer .
Right ventricular dysfunction in adolescents with mild cystic fibrosis.
BACKGROUND In cystic fibrosis ( CF ) patients the right ventricle ( RV ) suffers a progressive deterioration , but it is not clear when these changes begin . The aim of this study was to analyze the RV function in CF patients with mild respiratory disease . METHODS Color-Doppler-Echocardiographic studies were prospect ively performed in CF adolescent patients and an age-matched control group . Findings were correlated with pulmonary function tests ( PFT ) , genotype , chronic bacterial colonization , pancreatic status and clinical scores .  Only patients with mild CF were selected . RESULTS Thirty seven CF patients and 40 healthy controls were recruited . In CF patients all echocardiographic parameters were abnormal compared to controls . Doppler analysis showed slightly elevated pulmonary artery pressure values , and abnormal relaxation and systolic function for all indexes . No correlation was found with any of the features studied . CONCLUSIONS In CF patients , abnormalities in the structure and function of the RV may be present at early stages of the disease . These abnormalities are sub clinical and do not correlate with clinical scores , PFT , genotype , chronic bacterial colonization or pancreatic insufficiency
Results Overall , exercise intolerance is prevalent in pediatric chronic disease .
Background Physical activity ( PA ) is associated with a diverse range of health benefits .
International guidelines suggest that children should be participating in a minimum of 60 min of moderate to vigorous intensity PA per day to achieve these benefits .
However , current guidelines are intended for healthy children , and thus may not be applicable to children with a chronic disease .
Specifically , the dose of PA and disease specific exercise considerations are not included in these guidelines , leaving such children with few , if any , evidence -based informed suggestions pertaining to PA .
Thus , the purpose of this narrative review was to consider current literature in the area of exercise as medicine and provide practical applications for exercise in five prevalent pediatric chronic diseases : respiratory , congenital heart , metabolic , systemic inflammatory/autoimmune , and cancer .