[Rehabilitation of patients with chronic cardiac insufficiency. Immediate and midterm effects]

While physical training is known to improve cardiac performance in patients with chronic congestive heart failure, we conducted this study to evaluate the effect of such training programmes.

The study group included 48 untrained patients with stable chronic heart failure controlled with the same daily oral regimen including 0.25 mg digitoxin, 40 mg furosemide and 50 mg captopril. Halt of the patients (n = 24) entered a physical rehabilitation programme for a 3-week period. Each daily session included passive mobilization of the limbs (10 min), respiratory exercises (10 min) and endurance exercise on an ergometric cycle with a maximum work load of 50, 60 and 70% of the theoretical maximal load for weeks 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The other 24 patients did not change their physical activity level and served as controls. The immediate and medium term effects (3 months after the end of the training programme) were assessed using exercise tests, left ventricular isotopic ejection fraction and plethysmography of the lower limbs. The quality of life was compared using the NYHA functional classification and the Goldsman questionnaire.

At the end of the 3-week training period, and compared with the control group, there was a moderate improvement of VO2max (p < 0.02) and a 10% improvement in the ejection fraction (p < 0.05) in the trained patients. There was a clearly significant improvement in the anaerobic threshold and arterial blood flow rate (p < 0.001) and lowered vascular resistance (p < 0.001) and venous tone (p < 0.001). The quality of life was also improved in the training group. However, 3 weeks after the end of the training period, these differences disappeared.

Patients with chronic heart failure can benefit from physical training showing functional improvement and no deleterious effect on left ventricular function. This beneficial effect is nonetheless temporary and would appear to be due to improved skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and peripheral haemodynamics.