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Predictors of exercise capacity and everyday activity in older heart failure patients
Miles D Witham1, Ishbel S Argo, Derek W Johnston
1Section of Ageing and Health, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK. m.witham@dundee.ac.uk
Background:
Exercise capacity and daily activity are key outcomes for older, frail heart failure patients. Little is known about the determinants of these outcomes in this patient group.
Aims:
To explore predictors of exercise capacity and daily activity in older, frail heart failure patients.
Methods:
Analysis of prospectively collected data from a cohort of 82 patients aged 70 years and over, enrolled in a randomised controlled trial of exercise in heart failure patients. Pathophysiological, demographic, psychological and social factors were analysed by multivariate regression to determine predictors of exercise capacity (6-min walk distance) and daily activity (daily accelerometer counts).
Results:
Between 49% and 55% of the variance in 6-min walk distance was explained by variables including New York Heart Association class, depression score, attitude to ageing and use of walking aids. Only 11% to 26% of the variance in accelerometer scores was explained by the model; 6-min walk distance was the only consistent predictor of daily activity.
Conclusions:
Physical, psychological and attitudinal variables contribute to variance of the 6-min walk. Six-minute walk distance predicts a small amount of the variance in daily activity, but the majority of variance in daily activity remains unexplained and requires further investigation.
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