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 ?
Endothelial markers in chronic heart failure: training normalizes exercise-induced vWF release.
BACKGROUND Chronic heart failure ( CHF ) is characterized by endothelial dysfunction . Vascular endothelium is important for control of haemostasis and vasoregulation . The aim of the present study was to investigate plasma levels of several endothelial markers and the exercise-induced changes on these plasma levels in CHF patients . Subsequently , the effect of a 6-month training programme on these markers is described . MATERIAL S AND METHODS Twenty-nine male CHF patients ( NYHA II/III , age 60 + /- 8 year , body mass index 26.7 + /- 2.3 kg m(-2 ) , left ventricular ejection fraction 26.3 - 7.2 % ; mean + /- SD ) participated . Patients were r and omly assigned to a training or control group . Training ( 26 weeks ; combined strength and endurance exercises ) was four sessions/week : two sessions supervised and two sessions at home . Before and after intervention , anthropometry , endothelial markers ( haemostasis and vasoregulation ) , maximal workload and peak oxygen uptake were assessed . RESULTS Physical training positively affected maximal workload . Plasma levels of endothelial markers were not affected by physical training and not related to exercise tolerance . After training , stimulated ( maximal exercise ) plasma von Willebr and Factor ( vWF ) release was present , whereas at baseline this release was absent . CONCLUSION Physical training led to normalization of the stimulated plasma vWF release . Plasma levels of other endothelial markers were not affected by physical training either at rest or under stimulated ( maximal exercise ) conditions
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 ?