Physical training in patients with chronic heart failure of ischemic origin: effect on exercise capacity and left ventricular remodelling

Klecha A, Kawecka-Jaszcz K, Bacior B, Kubinyi A, Pasowicz M, Klimeczek P, Banys R

Background: Physical training is a complementary treatment for chronic heart failure (CHF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 6 months of training of the Left Ventricle (LV), exercise capacity and safety issues in patients with ischemic CHF.

Method: Fifty patients with ischemic CHF were randomised into two groups: six months training and no training. In both groups at baseline and at six months, a cardiopulmonary exercise test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with evaluation of LV were performed. Training was limited by the achievement of 80% of the predicted heart rate.

Results: All patients completed the six-month observation. No serious adverse events were found in either group. Exercise capacity improved only in the trained group; at 6 months there was a tendency towards an improvement in some LV parameters (ejection fraction and end-diastolic volume), whereas an opposite trend was seen in the controls.

Conclusion: Training improves exercise capacity. There was no negative impact on LV morphology, and a trend towards improvement of functional parameters on MRI may suggest an anti-remodelling effect of training in patients with ischemic CHF.

European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation, 2007, 14(1):85-91.

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