Rehabilitation of patients with congestive heart failure with or without beta-blockade therapy.
BACKGROUND
Management of heart failure includes beta-blockade (betaB) therapy and cardiac rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to compare the exercise training response of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) receiving betaB therapy with that of patients not receiving treatment.


RESULTS
Thirty-four consecutive patients with CHF were included in a 4-week training program at their ventilatory threshold (VT); 6 patients received betaB treatment and 18 did not. The patients underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test before and after training. Oxygen uptake (VO(2)) at peak exercise and at VT increased in both groups (P < or =.0001) without any significant differences between the groups. The same results were found after adjustment to ejection fraction and VO(2) at the start of the training program. There was no difference in VT improvement, measured as a percentage of utilization of maximal oxygen uptake, between the groups. After training, heart rate and ventilation decreased (P < or =.0001) at submaximal levels in both groups without significant differences between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
betaB therapy does not impair functional improvement induced by a rehabilitation program in patients with CHF. betaB therapy does not interfere with exercise training prescription if patient exercise evaluations are made at the time of therapeutic intake.
Curnier
D
D
INSERM Unité 317, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Clinique et Expérimentale, Faculté de Médecine, Toulouse, France.
Galinier
M
M
Pathak
A
A
Fourcade
J
J
Bousquet
M
M
Senard
J M
JM
Fauvel
J M
JM
Bounhoure
J P
JP
Montastruc
J L
JL
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D013997:Time Factors
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists