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Effect of an exercise programme for elderly patients with heart failure
1Department of Cardiology, Kent & Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, UK.
European Journal of Heart Failure
|April 1, 2000
Summary
This study shows that older adults with chronic heart failure can improve their walking distance with a tailored exercise program. These findings suggest that elderly patients can benefit from exercise and should be included in future clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Previous exercise training studies for chronic heart failure (CHF) focused on younger, male populations.
- The general CHF population includes older adults, who may have different responses to exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored exercise program for elderly patients with CHF.
- To determine if older individuals with CHF can benefit from exercise interventions.
Main Methods:
- A crossover study design was used with 22 elderly CHF patients (mean age 81).
- The program involved 12 weeks of once-weekly, tailored exercise sessions.
- Outcomes included the 6-minute walk test and quality of life measures.
Main Results:
- A 20% relative increase in 6-minute walk test distance was observed (P<0.012).
- No significant improvement in quality of life scores was found.
- Most participants reported subjective improvements in wellbeing.
Conclusions:
- Elderly patients with CHF can safely benefit from appropriately designed exercise programs.
- Older adults with CHF should not be excluded from large-scale exercise trials.