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Exercise capacity and quality of life in the treatment of heart failure

R Blackwood1, R A Mayou, J C Garnham

  • 1Cardiac Research Unit, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough.

Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
|September 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Heart failure patients showed similar improvements in exercise and quality of life across active treatments and placebo. Special heart failure clinics may offer therapeutic benefits beyond medication.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Trials
  • Quality of Life Research

Background:

  • The relationship between exercise capacity and symptomatic/functional status in heart failure patients remains unclear.
  • Evaluating treatment efficacy requires robust measures of both exercise capacity and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effects of digoxin, xamoterol, and placebo on exercise capacity and quality of life in heart failure patients.
  • To establish quantitative measures for quality-of-life variables and assess their correlation with exercise capacity.
  • To validate the use of exercise capacity and quality-of-life measurements in heart failure treatment evaluation.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving patients with heart failure.
  • Comparison of two active treatments (digoxin and xamoterol) against a placebo.
  • Development and application of quantitative measures for quality-of-life variables.

Main Results:

  • All groups, including placebo, demonstrated improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life without significant differences between treatments.
  • The placebo effect was substantial, likely due to increased medical and research staff attention, highlighting the value of specialized heart failure clinics.
  • Significant correlations were found between changes in exercise duration and various quality-of-life indicators (e.g., breathlessness, mood, daily task difficulty).

Conclusions:

  • Measuring changes in exercise capacity is a valid approach for evaluating heart failure treatment.
  • Quantitative quality-of-life measurements significantly contribute to the comprehensive assessment of heart failure therapies.
  • The attention provided in specialized heart failure clinics may have a considerable therapeutic impact on patients.

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