Randomized controlled effect of treadmill walking exercise on liver enzymes, psychological burden, and erectile dysfunction in men with hepatitis C

Introduction:
Exercise is a simple, safe, and affordable solution that can be easily taught to men with chronic illnesses to improve their psychological burden and sexual health.

Aim:
Since the role of exercise in ameliorating the psychological burden associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) in hepatitis C (HC) men was not explored, this research aimed to explore this role.

Material and methods:
This HC study was a randomized-controlled exercise-rehabilitation trial. Recruitment of HC men with ED was conducted from El-Sahel Teaching Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. Men (n = 46) were randomly assigned to a 12-week walking-exercise group (WEG, n = 23 HC men with ED received a one-hour treadmill walking 3 times weekly) or a control group (n = 23 HC men with ED, who did not change their daily physical activity during the research period). Besides Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), Arabic Version of the Five-Item Version International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), Profile of Mood States Questionnaire (POMSQ), and Ten-Statement Rosenberg self-esteem scale (TSRSE), HC participants’ liver enzymes, alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) were assessed.

Results:
Significant improvements of POMSQ, BDI, AST, IIEF-5, ALT, and TSRSE within the WEG only were seen. No significant changes occurred in the control group’s parameters.

Conclusions:
Exercise (walking) is a good modality to improve liver enzymes, ED, and ED-associated psychological burden (depression, low self-esteem, and mood disturbances) in HC men with ED.