title: Combined endurance and muscle strength training in female and male patients with chronic heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exercise training has now become established practice in patients with chronic heart failure. Women are often under-represented in intervention studies compared to men. For this reason it was our aim to conduct a combined endurance and muscle strength training program to evaluate its effect on clinical performance data and health-related psychosocial factors in women and men.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixteen women, mean age 69 +/- 9 years, body mass index (BMI) 25.8 +/- 4.9, and 169 men, mean age 66 +/- 9 years, BMI 26.6 +/- 3.6 underwent combined endurance/resistance training. The training program lasted 29 +/- 7 days and comprised bicycle ergometer training, a 6-min walk test as a training unit and muscle strength training for the lower and upper extremities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences between women and men were found in clinical parameters. In particular, statistically significant differences were revealed between the women and men with regard to cardiopulmonary performance. Quality of life was significantly improved on discharge with regard to both physical and mental health, whereas anxiety and depression showed no significant alteration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A specialized in-hospital program for women and men combining endurance/resistance training and education is feasible. But our program revealed a very low level of cardiopulmonary performance in women. Women need to be encouraged and motivated to participate in such programs.
authors.affiliation: MediClin Reha-Zentrum Gernsbach, Gernsbach, Germany. cardiol@hkz-gernsbach.de
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miche
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roelleke
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zoller
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tietz
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huerst
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radzewitz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010807:Physical Endurance; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome