Cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure

Tieh-Cheng Fu, Shu Chun Huang, Chih Chin Hsu, Chao Hung Wang, Jong Shyan Wang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reduced exercise capacity negatively affects the ability of patients with heart failure (HF) to perform activities required for daily life, further decreasing their independence and quality of life (QoL). Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can effectively improve aerobic fitness and overall health status in patients with HF. Low referral rate is an important limitation that may impede successful CR, whereas the automatic referral and liaison strategies performed by some healthcare providers manifestly increase the CR referral rate. However, there is still controversy regarding the most effective exercise strategy for improving hemodynamic efficiency during daily activities in the HF population. Aerobic interval training (AIT), that includes alternating high-and low-intensity exercise sessions, may be a more effective modality for improving functional capacity than traditional moderate continuous training (MCT) in patients with HF. A novel AIT regimen designed in our previous study may substantially enhance the ability of ventilation-perfusion matching during exercise, which effects are accompanied by an improved global and disease-specific QoL in HF patients. Conversely, the traditional MCT regimen may only maintain these physiologic responses to exercise at pre-interventional status. By elucidating the relationship between physical activity and hemodynamic property, this reviewattempts to provide a CR strategy for developing suitable exercise prescription that ameliorates hemodynamic disturbance, further retarding the disease progression and improving health-related QoL in patients with HF.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)353-359
Number of pages7
JournalActa Cardiologica Sinica
Volume30
Issue number5
StatePublished - 01 09 2014

Keywords

  • Aerobic capacity
  • Heart failure
  • Hemodynamics
  • Rehabilitation

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