Abstract

ATEHORTUA, Diana S; GALLO, Jaime A; RICO, Mauricio  and  DURANGO, Luisa. Effect of a cardiac rehabilitation program based on exercise on physical capacity, cardiac function and quality of life in patients with heart failure. Rev. Colom. Cardiol. [online]. 2011, vol.18, n.1, pp.25-36. ISSN 0120-5633.

Background: exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is a strategy treatment in patients with heart failure. Currently there is controversy about its effect on central and hemodynamic parameters of ventricular function. Objective: to evaluate the effect of an exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program on physical capacity, cardiac function and quality of life in patients with heart failure. Design and Methods: intervention study in patients with heart failure stage C, NYHA functional classes II-III that were submitted to functional tests, echocardiography and plasma levels of NT-pro-BNP, and also answered a questionnaire on quality of life before and twelve weeks after a cardiac rehabilitation program based on exercise. Results: 22 patients with mean age 59 ± 9 years old were included. 17 (77,3%) were men and 20 (90,9%) had coronary heart disease. The indirect maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂) increased on average from 26.4 ± 6.4mL.kg-1.min-1 to 34.5 ± 7.7 mL.kg-1.min-1 (p<0.001) and the distance reached in the 6–minute walking test increased on average from 438 ± 67.9 meters to 513 ± 83.4 meters (p<0.001). The ejection fraction increased from 32.68 ± 8.8% to 38.82 ± 9.16% (p<0.001). There was improvement in the quality of life in the domain of «health change over time» (p<0.05). Conclusions: Patients with heart failure who are involved in a cardiac rehabilitation program based on exercise for twelve weeks improve their functional capacity, systolic function and quality of life.

Keywords : heart failure; cardiac rehabilitation; exercise; physical capacity; cardiac function; quality of life.

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