Abstract: Objective: To summarize the effects of exercise on physical function and quality of life of patients with Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) with a meta-analysis, so as to provide a reference for formulating an effective exercise program for patients with HSCT. Methods: Randomized controlled trials on the effects of exercise on patients with HSCT were systematically searched from 9 databases in Chinese or English, and the time was from the establishment of the database to December 2022. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data and evaluated the quality of the literature, and the Review Manager 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 13 studies were included, and the results of meta-analysis showed that exercise could increase 6-minute walking distance [MD=35.36, 95%CI (16.91, 55.80), P<0.001], improve quality of life [SMD=0.29, 95%CI (0.14, 0.44), P<0.001], while there was no effects in improving peak oxygen uptake [SMD=0.42, 95%CI(-0.12, 0.95), P=0.13] and hand grip [SMD=0.10, 95%CI(-0.08, 0.29), P=0.26]. Conclusions: Exercise can effectively improve the cardiopulmonary function and quality of life of patients with HSCT, but on effects on improving aerobic metabolism and upper limb muscle strength, and more high-quality studies are needed to demonstrate the results in the future.

Key words: exercise; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; physical function; quality of life; Meta-analysis