Effects on quality of life, symptoms and daily activity 6 months after termination of an exercise training programme in heart failure patients.
BACKGROUND
Exercise training in heart failure patients improves exercise capacity, physical function, and quality-of-life. Prior studies indicate a rapid loss of these effects following termination of the training. We wanted to assess any sustained post-training effects on patients global assessment of change in quality-of-life (PGACQoL) and physical function.


METHODS
Fifty-four stable heart failure patients were randomised to exercise or control. The 4-month exercise programme consisted of bicycle training at 80% of maximal intensity three times/week, and 49 patients completed the active study period. At 10 months (6 months post training) 37 patients were assessed regarding PGACQoL, habitual physical activity, and dyspnea-fatigue-index.


RESULTS
Both post-training patients (n=17) and controls (n=20) deteriorated PGACQoL during the 6-month extended follow-up, although insignificantly. However, post-training patients improved PGACQoL slightly but significantly from baseline to 10 months (P=0.006), differing significantly (P=0.023) from controls who were unchanged. Regarding dyspnea-fatigue-index, post-training patients were largely unchanged and controls deteriorated insignificantly, during the extended follow-up as well as from baseline to 10 months. Both groups decreased physical activity insignificantly during the extended follow-up, and from baseline to 10 months post-training patients tended to decrease whereas controls significantly (P=0.007) decreased physical activity.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no important sustained benefit 6 months after termination of an exercise training programme in heart failure patients. A small, probably clinically insignificant sustained improvement in PGACQoL was seen in post-training patients. Controls significantly decreased the habitual physical activity over 10 months and post-training patients showed a similar trend. Exercise training obviously has to be continuing to result in sustained benefit.
Willenheimer
R
R
Department of Cardiology, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, 5-20502, Malmö, Sweden. ronnie.willenheimer@medforsk.mas.lu.se
Rydberg
E
E
Cline
C
C
Broms
K
K
Hillberger
B
B
Oberg
L
L
Erhardt
L
L
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012449:Safety