Exergaming Improves Cardiac Risk Factors in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may induce unfavorable changes in metabolic outcomes, insulin sensitivity, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), and in serum levels of adipocyte-derived hormones. In this preplanned randomized ancillary study, we aimed to investigate the ability of exercise to counteract alterations in triglyceride, cholesterol, waist circumference, and insulin caused by ADT in men with locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and Methods: Forty-six PCa patients undergoing treatment were randomized to 12 weeks of 180 minutes of weekly unsupervised home-based exergaming or usual care. Blood glucose, lipids, cholesterol, adiponectin, leptin, insulin sensitivity, and the insulin growth factor axis were measured at baseline, and after 12 and 24 weeks. Biomarkers were analyzed using a linear mixed-effect model of the difference between the groups from baseline to week 24. In addition, blood pressure, body mass index, body weight, and waist circumference were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks/end of intervention and analyzed using adjusted linear regression analysis. Results: After 24 weeks, a significant difference was seen between the intervention and usual care groups in plasma triglyceride (diff: 0.5 mmol/L, P = 0.02) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL; diff: 0.2 mmol/L, P = 0.01) favoring the intervention group, whereas IGF-binding protein-3 (diff: 148 μg/L, P = 0.01) favored the usual care group. The remaining outcomes were unaffected. Conclusion: Improvement in HDL cholesterol could be used as a primary biomarker in future randomized controlled trials investigating the cardiovascular protecting properties of exergaming.