Objective:

To establish the effects of aerobic exercise on the physical capacity and some physiological variables in patients with heart failure with ventricular dysfunction and those with heart failure and conserved ventricular function.

Methods:

A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 23 patients with heart failure that attended a cardiac rehabilitation programme in the city of Cali, Colombia. The patients were classified into 2 groups: LVEF < 40% (heart failure with ventricular dysfunction) and LVEF ≥ 40% (heart failure with conserved ventricular function). The following variables were recorded before and after: weight, body mass index, systolic -diastolic blood pressure, and aerobic capacity. The exercise was performed 3 times / week for 12 weeks, with strength training and aerobic exercise between 50% and 75% of the maximum heart rate or with the Borg scale modified for patients taking beta-blockers. The paired t test was used to establish changes between variables. A value of P<.05 was taken as statistically significant.

Results:

A total of 12 patients were placed in the group with heart failure and ventricular dysfunction and 11 in the group with heart failure and conserved ventricular function. The mean age was 60.1±9.8 and 58±12.4, respectively. The systolic blood pressure decreased by 13.7 mm Hg ± 4.1; P=.007, in the group with heart failure and conserved ventricular function, and 10.8 mmHg±3.4; P=.008, in the group with ventricular dysfunction. The aerobic capacity showed a statistically significant increase for both groups.

Conclusions:

Both groups had good adherence to the aerobic exercise, as they achieved a statistically significant improvement as regards the systolic blood pressure and aerobic capacity.

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