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Effects of exercise training on diastolic and systolic dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure

Ioannis Chaveles1, Ourania Papazachou2, Manal Al Shamari3

  • 11st Department of Cardiology - Clinical Ergospirometry, Exercise and Rehabilitation Laboratory, "Evaggelismos" Hospital, Athens 10676, Greece.

World Journal of Cardiology
|October 8, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac rehabilitation programs significantly improve diastolic dysfunction and ejection fraction in chronic heart failure patients. Exercise training benefits both systolic and diastolic function, enhancing overall cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • Chronic heart failure (CHF) involves reduced left ventricular (LV) contractility, decreased exercise tolerance, and increased mortality.
  • Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is a key factor in CHF pathophysiology and disease progression.
  • Exercise training is recognized for its beneficial effects in CHF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of a cardiac rehabilitation program on diastolic dysfunction (DD) and LV ejection fraction (EF) in patients with CHF.
  • To compare the effectiveness of aerobic exercise versus combined aerobic and strength training.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-two stable CHF patients underwent an exercise rehabilitation program, randomized into aerobic (AER) or combined (COM) groups.
  • Evaluations included maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and serial echocardiography before and after the program.
  • Key metrics assessed were peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), peak workload (Wpeak), DD grade, right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), and EF.

Main Results:

  • The entire cohort showed significant improvements in VO2peak, Wpeak, DD grade, RVSP, and EF (P < 0.05).
  • A significant improvement in DD grade was observed compared to baseline (P < 0.05).
  • No significant differences in outcomes were found between the AER and COM groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Exercise rehabilitation effectively improves both diastolic and systolic dysfunction indices in CHF patients.
  • The specific exercise protocol did not significantly influence the observed outcomes.
  • Further investigation with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings.
Abstract

Keywords:
Aerobic exerciseCardiac rehabilitationCardiovascular effectsChronic heart failureDiastolic dysfunctionStrength training

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