Comparative effects of a cardiovascular rehabilitation program on functional capacity in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy with or without heart failure
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Updated: Oct 7, 2025
A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Published on: April 19, 2019
Aline Maria Nunes Viana1,2, Marcelo Carvalho Vieira1,3, Flavia Mazzoli-Rocha1
1Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Insights
Cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) significantly enhances functional capacity in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). These benefits were observed consistently, irrespective of whether patients had heart failure (HF).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) is recognized for improving outcomes in various cardiovascular conditions.
- Emerging evidence suggests CR may benefit patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC).
- The impact of CR on functional capacity in CCC patients, particularly those with co-existing heart failure (HF), requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effects of CR on the functional capacity of patients diagnosed with CCC.
- To compare the CR response in CCC patients stratified by the presence or absence of heart failure (HF).
Main Methods:
- A retrospective observational study involving 36 CCC patients (7 without HF - Stage B2, 29 with HF - Stage C).
- Functional capacity was evaluated using maximal progressive cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill.
- Linear mixed models analyzed longitudinal CR effects and differential responses between HF subgroups.
Main Results:
- Overall, CR led to significant improvements in peak oxygen consumption, resting heart rate and blood pressure, and maximal pulmonary ventilation.
- No significant differences in CR response were observed between CCC patients with and without heart failure.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) effectively improves functional capacity in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC).
- The positive effects of CR on exercise capacity and physiological parameters appear consistent across CCC patients, regardless of heart failure (HF) status.
- CR should be integrated as a standard treatment for all CCC patients, irrespective of cardiomyopathy severity.
Purpose:
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) on functional capacity of patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) and to compare the responses between CCC patients without and with heart failure (HF).
Materials And Methods:
A longitudinal observational retrospective study was carried out including 36 patients with CCC without HF (stage B2 [n = 7]) and with HF (stage C [n = 29]), who participated in a CR program. Functional capacity was assessed by a maximal progressive cardiopulmonary exercise test performed on a treadmill. The longitudinal effects of the CR on functional capacity were determined by linear mixed models that included an interaction term to evaluate the differential responses between patients without and with HF.
Results:
Significant improvements in peak oxygen consumption, resting heart rate and blood pressure, and maximum pulmonary ventilation were observed for the overall study sample, with no apparent differential effects according to the presence of HF.
Conclusions:
CR significantly improved functional capacity of patients with CCC. The responses to CR appear to be similar among patients without and with HF, reinforcing the need for its inclusion as a standard treatment strategy of CCC.Implications for rehabilitationExercise-based cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) is a safe strategy that improves functional capacity, cardiac function, and quality of life in patients with several cardiovascular diseases, and recent studies also suggested a potential beneficial effect of CR in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC).In this observational study, CR seems to equally improve exercise capacity, resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, and maximum pulmonary ventilation in patients with CCC without (stage B2) and with heart failure (stage C).Cardiovascular rehabilitation should be included as a standard treatment strategy for patients with CCC, regardless the severity of cardiomyopathy.
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