Archives of internal medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Effect of exercise training on depressive symptoms among patients with a chronic illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Physical inactivity and comorbid depressive symptoms are prevalent among patients with a chronic illness. To our knowledge, randomized controlled trials of the effects of exercise training on depressive symptoms among patients with a chronic illness have not been systematically reviewed. We estimated the population effect of exercise training on depressive symptoms and determined whether the effect varied according to patient characteristics and modifiable features of exercise exposure and clinical settings. ⋯ Exercise reduces depressive symptoms among patients with a chronic illness. Patients with depressive symptoms indicative of mild-to-moderate depression and for whom exercise training improves function-related outcomes achieve the largest antidepressant effects.