Effects of home-based exercise training for patients with chronic heart failure and sleep apnoea: a randomized...

To evaluate the effects of home-based exercise for patients with chronic heart failure and sleep apnoea and to compare two different training programmes.

A randomized, prospective controlled trial.

Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Brazil.

Fifty chronic heart failure patients with sleep apnoea were randomized in three groups: Group 1 (aerobic training, n = 18), Group 2 (aerobic with strength training, n = 18), and Group 3 (untrained, n = 14).

The training programme for Groups 1 and 2 began with three supervised exercise sessions, after they underwent three months of home-based exercise. Patients were followed by weekly telephone call and were reviewed monthly. Group 3 had the status of physical activity evaluated weekly by interview to make sure they remained untrained.

At baseline and after three months: cardiopulmonary exercise testing, isokinetic strength and endurance, Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire and polysomnography. Adherence was evaluated weekly.

Of the 50 patients enrolled in the study, 45 completed the programme. Clinical events: Group 1 (one death), Group 2 (one myocardial infarction), Group 3 (one death and two strokes). None were training related. Training groups showed improvement in all outcomes evaluated and the adherence was an important factor (Group 1 = 98.5% and Group 2 = 100.2%, P = 0.743). Untrained Group 3 demonstrated significant decrease or no change on measurements after three months without training.

Home-based exercise training is an important therapeutic strategy in chronic heart failure patients with sleep apnoea, and strength training resulted in a higher increase in muscle strength and endurance.