%0 Journal Article
%T The effect of an exercise intervention on aerobic fitness, strength and quality of life in children with haemophilia (ACTRN012605000224628)
%A Carolyn R Broderick
%A Robert D Herbert
%A Jane Latimer
%A Julie A Curtin
%A Hiran C Selvadurai
%J BMC Blood Disorders
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2326-6-2
%X The study will be a randomised, assessor-blinded, controlled trial of exercise treatment. Seventy children aged between 6 and 18 years with haemophilia or von Willebrand disease will be recruited from two paediatric haemophilia clinics in NSW. Each participant will be allocated to an exercise group or a control group using a concealed allocation procedure. The control group will receive usual medical care while the intervention group will receive usual medical care plus an exercise program for 12 weeks. Outcomes (VO2peak, knee extensor strength and quality of life) will be measured at baseline and on completion of the exercise program by a blinded assessor. The primary analysis will be conducted on an intention to treat basis. The effects of the exercise intervention on each of the three primary outcomes will be estimated from between-group differences in the mean outcome adjusted for baseline scores.This study will be the first randomised controlled trial to examine the effects of a structured exercise program on fitness and quality of life in children with haemophilia.Haemophilia A and B are X-linked recessive conditions which affect 1 in 7,000 males in Australia [1]. They are characterised by deficiency of Factor VIII or Factor IX (in the mild and moderate forms) and absence of Factor VIII or IX (in the severe form). Haemophilia is characterised by an increased bleeding tendency, the severity of which is dependent on the absolute levels of Factor VIII or IX. Mild haemophilia (when the factor level is 5¨C40%) is rarely associated with spontaneous bleeds. Moderate haemophilia means that the factor level is <5% of normal and severe haemophilia occurs when the factor level is <1%. The hallmarks of haemophilia are intramuscular and intra-articular bleeds. Some children develop "target joints" characterised by multiple bleeds into the same joint which can lead to destruction of the joint surfaces (haemophilic arthropathy).In the past, children with haemophilia were ofte
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2326/6/2