NCT02903225

Clinical Value of Heart Rate Variability Indexes to Predict Outcomes After Exercise Training in Chronic Heart Failure

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universidad de la Republica · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Controlled exercise training is a valuable therapeutic addition to pharmacological treatment in most patients with chronic heart failure, reducing long-term mortality, preventing cardiac remodeling and improving functional capacity. Despite the mechanism underlying its benefits might be multifactorial, a sustained improvement in autonomic balance is usually attributed as a major effect. Nevertheless, not all eligible subjects show the same response to exercise, probably due to several differences in the subpopulations enrolled. The investigators hypothesize that some Heart Rate Variability indexes could be valid tools to optimize the selection and follow-up of chronic heart failure patients to training

Detailed description

Forty subjects followed in a University Heart Failure Management Program were prospectively included. All patients were evaluated before the randomization and after 24 weeks from enrollment. The investigators performed a detailed anamnesis and complete physical examination, Doppler echocardiography, Stress Testing, 6-minute walk test, heart rate variability analysis, and quality of life test. Patients were randomized either to a training group: performing a supervised training program, or a control group receiving usual care. All patients received an optimal pharmacologic treatment including diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and beta-adrenergic blocking agents. All patients included in the training group attended a supervised program 3-days/week during 24 weeks (68-74 sessions). Physical aerobic training appears to impart beneficial changes in autonomic control of patients with chronic heart failure through both parasympathetic and sympathetic control of hear rate. These effects produce changes in several Heart Rate Variability indices as HF and rMSSD related with parasympathetic tone.

Conditions

• Heart Failure
• Systolic Heart Failure

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Cardiac Rehabilitation	All patients included in this group attended a supervised exercise training program. A cardiologist supervised the hole training sessions. Blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and body weight were measured in each session. The modified Borg scale was used to measure the perceived exercise intensity

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-04-01
• Primary completion: 2013-11-01
• Completion: 2014-11-01
• First posted: 2016-09-16
• Last updated: 2016-09-16