Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for heart failure: effects on echocardiographic parameters and functional...

Multiple comorbidities and physiological changes play a role in a range of heart failure (HF) conditions and influence the most effective approach to exercise-based rehabilitation. This research aimed to examine and compare the outcomes of concurrent exercise training, focusing on echocardiographic parameters and functional capacity of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

In this randomized control trial, a total of 76 patients (average age: 68.2 ± 4.8 years) with HFrEF were randomly allocated into two groups: intervention group (IG, N = 38) and control group (CG, N = 38) that IG performed an 8-week concurrent exercise training (three aerobic and two resistance exercise sessions/week) and daily breathing exercises. Echocardiographic parameters (left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, and functional capacity (6-minute walking test) were assessed before and the end of the study.

The comparison of CG and IG showed that 6-min walking test (204.2 ± 28.72 vs. 273 ± 38.37) and ejection fraction (EF) (28.28 ± 4.39 vs. 37.23 ± 6.54) had increased, and left ventricle end-diastolic dimension (53.89 ± 4.73 vs. 46.71 ± 5.35) and left ventricle end-systolic dimension (45.55 ± 4.8 vs. 39 ± 5.26) had decreased after 8 weeks, respectively (P < 0/05).

In summary, this study provides compelling evidence that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation can lead to meaningful improvements in echocardiographic parameters and functional capacity among older adults with HF, advocating for its broader implementation in clinical settings.