Home-based exercise increased exercise capacity safely but did not improve quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure .
It could therefore be used to improve the management of people with chronic heart failure who do not have access to hospital-based exercise
QUESTIONS Does home-based exercise improve exercise capacity and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure ?
Is it safe ?
Antiremodeling Effect of Long-Term Exercise Training in Patients With Stable Chronic Heart Failure: Results of the Exercise in Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Chronic Heart Failure (ELVD-CHF) Trial
Background —The effects of exercise training ( ET ) on left ventricular ( LV ) remodeling in chronic heart failure are not definitively established , and the safety of ET in these patients is still debated . Methods and Results —This multicenter study investigated the long-term effect of moderate ET on LV remodeling , work capacity , and quality of life ( QoL ) in 90 patients with stable chronic heart failure caused by LV systolic dysfunction , r and omized to a 6-month ET program ( T , n=45 ) or a control group ( C , n=45 ) . All patients underwent resting echocardiography , a cardiopulmonary exercise test , 6-minute walking test , and QoL assessment at entry and after 6 months . At entry , end-diastolic ( EDV ) and end-systolic ( ESV ) volume , ejection fraction , work capacity , peak & OV0312;o2 , and walking distance were similar in the 2 groups . After 6 months , LV volumes diminished in T ( EDV , from 142±26 to 135±26 mL/m2 , P < 0.006 ; ESV , from 107±24 to 97±24 mL/m2 , P < 0.05 ) but increased in C ( EDV , from 147±41 to 156±42 mL/m2 , P < 0.01 ; ESV , from 110±34 to 118±34 mL/m2 , P < 0.01 ) . Ejection fraction improved in T ( P < 0.001 ) but was unchanged in C ( P = NS ) . Significant improvement in work capacity ( P < 0.001 ) , peak & OV0312;o2 ( P < 0.006 ) , walking distance ( P < 0.001 ) , and QoL ( P < 0.01 ) was observed in T but not in C ( P = NS ) . T showed a trend toward fewer ( P = 0.05 ) hospital readmissions for worsening dyspnea in the absence of other adverse cardiac events . Conclusions —In stable chronic heart failure , long-term moderate ET has no detrimental effect on LV volumes and function ; rather , it attenuates abnormal remodeling . Furthermore , ET is safe and effective in improving exercise tolerance and
Home-based exercise increased exercise capacity safely but did not improve quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure .
It could therefore be used to improve the management of people with chronic heart failure who do not have access to hospital-based exercise
QUESTIONS Does home-based exercise improve exercise capacity and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure ?
Is it safe ?