Effect of physical exercise training on health-related quality of life and exercise tolerance in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
The improvement of exercise tolerance and quality of life (QOL) are essential in the treatment of patients with heart failure. The influence of physical exercise training on QOL was investigated in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.


METHODS
Health-related QOL was evaluated using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 Health Status Survey (SF-36) before and 3 months after individualized exercise training determined by cardiopulmonary exercise testing in 65 patients. The 44 patients who could carry out more than two-thirds of the prescribed exercise were classified into two groups: Group A (11 patients)with left ventricular ejection fraction < 40% and Group B (33 patients) with left ventricular ejection fraction > or = 40%. The remaining 21 patients served as the control group.


RESULTS
The mean value of SF-36 improved significantly with exercise training only in Group A (50.8 +/- 25.3 to 62.1 +/- 22.2, p < 0.05). Group A also had an increase in peak Vo2 (18.9 +/- 3.5 to 21.4 +/- 3.6 ml/min/kg, p < 0.005) and a decrease in brain natriuretic peptide. The 24 patients (9 in Group A, 15 in Group B) with improved SF-36 values after the exercise training showed a negative correlation between the change of the mental component summary and the peak Vo2 (r = - 0.606, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Exercise training improves both the QOL, especially the mental component, and the exercise tolerance in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
Toda
Genji
G
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Course of Medical and Dental Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Sakamoto-cho 1-7-1, Nagasaki, Nagasaki 852-8501.
Shibata
Shigemori
S
Nakamizo
Reiichiro
R
Seto
Shinji
S
Yano
Katsusuke
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*