title: Is exercise training safe and beneficial in patients receiving left ventricular assist device therapy?
abstract: Because a limited number of patients receive heart transplantation, alternative therapies, such as left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy, have emerged. Published studies have shown that LVAD implantation, by itself, improves exercise tolerance to the point where it is comparable to those with mild heart failure. The improvement in exercise capacity is maximally achieved 12 weeks after LVAD therapy and can continue even after explantation of the device. This effect varies, depending on the type of LVAD and exercise training. The available data in the literature on safety and benefits of exercise training in patients after LVAD implantation are limited, but the data that are available suggest that training trends to be safe and have an impact on exercise capacity in LVAD patients. Although no studies were identified on the role of cardiac rehabilitation programs in the management of LVAD patients, it appears that cardiac rehabilitation programs offer an ideal setting for the provision of supervised exercise training in this patient group.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing (Dr Alsara); Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Health Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (Drs Perez-Terzic, Squires, and Thomas); and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Dr Perez-Terzic), Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine (Drs Dandamudi and Miranda), and Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery (Dr Park), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors: Osama
authors: O
authors: Alsara
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Perez-Terzic
authors: Ray W
authors: RW
authors: Squires
authors: Sanjay
authors: S
authors: Dandamudi
authors: William R
authors: WR
authors: Miranda
authors: Soon J
authors: SJ
authors: Park
authors: Randal J
authors: RJ
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D001243:Assisted Circulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D018570:Risk Assessment