A longitudinal study of quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure following an exercise training program.
BACKGROUND
Chronic heart failure (CHF) will become one of the greatest medical challenges during the next decades. This is especially true with regard to elderly patients. Besides medical diagnostics and drug therapy, efficient treatment of CHF must also include exercise training.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was 1) to record health-related quality of life (QOL) in elderly patients with CHF and 2) to assess the efficacy of a training program, as well as to evaluate any changes detected during a six month follow-up.


METHODS
In our non-randomized study, 116 patients, divided according to age into Group 1 (>70 years) and Group 2 (<70 years), took part in a 4-week training program.


RESULTS
There were differences in the clinical parameters and the QOL between the older and the younger patients both after 4 weeks and at the follow-up. After six months, however, the older patients again recorded having an inferior QOL to that of the younger patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Elderly patients can also benefit from physical exercise training, with improvement in clinical parameters and QOL. In order to maintain the subjectively improved QOL in the long term, however, continued special heart failure education and support is required.
Miche
Eckart
E
MediClin Reha-Zentrum Gernsbach, 76593 Gernsbach, Germany. cardio.gernsbach@mediclin.de
Roelleke
Elisabeth
E
Zoller
Bettina
B
Wirtz
Ulrike
U
Schneider
Melanie
M
Huerst
Maria
M
Amelang
Manfred
M
Radzewitz
Andrea
A
D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D016552:Ergometry; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome