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Exercise Therapy for Older Heart Failure Patients
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 8154, Bethesda, MD 20892-7936, USA.
Heart Failure Clinics
|June 13, 2017
Summary
Exercise training offers significant benefits for older adults with heart failure (HF), improving aerobic capacity and muscle strength. Studies suggest it is safe and effective, even for those over 80.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Aging and heart failure (HF) significantly reduce aerobic capacity, muscle mass, and strength.
- Limited research exists on exercise training for elderly individuals with HF, particularly women over 80 with HF with reduced ejection fraction.
- Existing data suggest exercise training is safe and beneficial for older HF patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current evidence on exercise training in older adults with heart failure (HF).
- To assess the safety and efficacy of exercise interventions in this population.
- To highlight the need for further research in specific subgroups.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing heart failure (HF) training studies.
- Analysis of data focusing on older individuals (≥80 years) and women with HF with reduced ejection fraction.
- Inclusion of studies examining resistance training benefits.
Main Results:
- Exercise training demonstrates similar benefits in older patients compared to younger cohorts.
- Exercise interventions show excellent safety profiles in elderly individuals with HF.
- Resistance training may offer additional advantages for muscle health.
Conclusions:
- Exercise training is a safe and effective intervention for older adults with heart failure (HF).
- Further large-scale, multicenter trials are needed to confirm the impact of exercise on mortality, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs in this population.
- Specific attention should be given to underrepresented groups, such as very elderly individuals and women with HF with reduced ejection fraction.
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