A Novel Home-based Physical Activity Intervention for Stable Chronic Heart Failure Patients
Condition: Heart Failure, Systolic
MeSH terms: Heart Failure; Heart Failure, Systolic
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The project focuses on heart failure (HF), a complex clinical syndrome of symptoms and signs
      that suggest the efficiency of the heart as a pump is impaired. Around 950,000 people in the
      UK have HF. Both the incidence and prevalence of heart failure increase steeply as a result
      of an ageing population, improved survival of people with ischaemic heart disease and more
      effective treatments for heart failure. Aside from the obvious individual burden HF also
      accounts for 1 million inpatient bed days - 2% of all NHS inpatient bed days and 5% of all
      emergency medical admissions to hospital which are projected to rise by 50% over the next 25
      years. There is a pressing need to explore effective ways to manage the individual and
      societal burden of HF.

      Despite exercise being an effective, safe, and a recommended (class I) therapy for people
      with heart failure according to clinical guidelines from the UK, EU, and USA, it is currently
      out of reach for majority people with HF. This project addresses this directly by designing
      and evaluating an exercise therapy that will be available to those living with HF with
      potential to improve their symptoms, function and quality of life
    

Detailed description: 
      The present project aligns with Ageing Body Theme of the Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research
      Centre. In particular the Chronic Cardiac Disease theme because it focuses on Heart Failure
      and how to improve clinical care and outcomes, physical function and quality of life of those
      living with heart failure. The project will develop and evaluate a novel non-pharmacological
      therapeutic approach (home-based exercise programme with behavioural support) which
      recognises the complexity of heart failure and the need to treat each individual patient in
      an optimal way. Such therapy will be tailored for people with heart failure who are, under
      current clinical care, lacking the well-recognised benefits associated with exercise therapy.
      After initial evaluation, it is expected that this project will inform development of a large
      definitive trial (subject to separate funding application) which findings will be translated
      into clinical care to improve outcomes in people with heart failure. Results of such a trial
      are expected to have a significant impact on current clinical practice and the development of
      new cardiac rehabilitation guidelines for heart failure.

      It is important to indicate that home-based exercise cardiac rehabilitation programmes have
      been introduced in an attempt to widen access and participation as an alternative to
      supervised centre-based rehabilitation in conditions other than heart failure. Home-based
      exercise programmes are reported to be equally effective as centre based programmes in people
      with coronary artery disease i.e. following myocardial infarction and/or revascularisation,
      but remain to be designed and evaluated in those living with heart failure and this is
      subject to the present investigation
    

Intervention name(s): Physical Activity
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care