Introduction: Patients with CHF generally suffer from exercise intolerance due to breathlessness, fatigue, or a combination of both. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of a 4- to 6-week comprehensive rehabilitation program on exercise capacity and breathing pattern during exercise in patients with CHF.
Methods. Data from 70 patients with CHF (61M/9F) who participated in the program during 1998-2006 were retrospectively collected. Other characteristics (mean +/- SD): age: 62 years +/- 9, ejection fraction: 29% +/- 6, program duration: 5.1 wks +/- 0.9. All patients underwent a maximal incremental cycle ergometer exercise test pre- and postrehabilitation, with breath by breath measurements of Vo2, Vco2 and Ve. The ventilatory threshold (VT) was measured by2 blinded readers.
Results. For statistical analysis, a paired t test was used and significance was set at P < .05.
Discussion: The patients increased their exercise capacity after the rehabilitation program, as both Vo2 and WRmax increased. The VE max increased due to an increment of Tidal Volume, and BFmax remained constant. Therefore breathing pattern at maximal exercise improved. Better motivation could play a role in the parameters that increased. The VT is considered not to be motivation dependent. It was measurable in 42 patients and increased, implying true training effects in those patients. We conclude that patients with CHF who were studied benefited from our rehabilitation program as their exercise capacity increased and breathing pattern improved.