Effect of home-based walking on performance and quality of life in patients with heart failure

Chronic heart failure defined as the inability of the heart to meet the demands of the tissues, which results in symptoms of fatigue or dyspnoea on energy progressing to dyspnoea at rest. The inability to perform the exercise without discomfort and poor quality of life may be one of the first symptoms experienced by patients with heart failure and is often the principal reason for seeking medical care.

The aim of the study was to find the effect of a home walking programme on the performance and quality of life in the patients with heart failure.

Sixty patients with New York Heart Association class II and III heart failure were divided into two matched and equal groups. The quality of life scores and 6-minute walking scores were measured for each patient at entry and after 8 weeks. Both groups were followed for 8 weeks. The results showed between mean walking distance on the 6 minutes at entry and after 8 weeks in the training group (p < 0.001), but no significance was seen between the control groups (p = 0.351). Furthermore, results showed a significant difference between mean of quality of life scores at entry and after 8 weeks in the training group, but such significance was not reported between before and after control group scores.

The home-based walking showed improvement in the performance, exercise tolerance time and quality of life in heart failure patients. Therefore, Nurses should employ alternatives such as home exercises in the caring of heart failure patients.