Effectiveness of a physiotherapeutic exercise programme for chronic heart failure patients

This pilot study was conducted to evaluate the design and effects of a physiotherapeutic exercise programme on exercise capacity, muscle strength and quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure.

Eighteen patients with chronic heart failure were randomly assigned to either a training group (n=9) participating in a physiotherapeutic exercise programme or a regular care control group (n=9). At baseline and after three months patients underwent a maximal bicycle test, a six-minute walk test, a respiratory test, three muscle strength tests and a number of questionnaires pertaining to quality of life.

Compared with the control group, a positive trend in the results of the training group was found. All measures showed a greater increase in the intervention group than in the control group. In five measures the difference was significant: 1. distance covered during the six-minute walk test (p=.036), 2. Borg rating of perceived exertion after this walk test (p=.006), 3. 'care and housekeeping' of the activities daily life questionnaire (p=.004), 4. 'symptoms' (p=.048) and 5. 'quality of life' (p=.040) of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire.

The study in chronic heart failure patients suggests both that the design of our training programme is workable and that our physiotherapeutic exercises produce positive effects. Further research with more patients is necessary to generalise these results to the population of patients with stable chronic heart failure. To assess the long-term effects of the programme, follow-up research is necessary.