Search

Exercise training (ET) is strongly recommended in patients with chronic stable heart failure (HF). Moderate-intensity aerobic continuous ET is the best-established training modality in HF patients. In the last decade, however, high-intensity interval exercise training (HIIT) has aroused considerable interest in cardiac rehabilitation community. In HF patients, HIIT exerts larger improvements in exercise capacity compared to moderate-continuous ET. Since better functional capacity translates into symptoms relief and improvement in quality of life in patients with HF, this training modality is collecting growing interest and consensus, not revealing major safety issues. HIIT should not replace other training modalities in HF but should rather complement them. Inspiratory muscle training, another promising training modality in patients with HF, exerts beneficial effect on inspiratory muscle strength and inspiratory endurance, on exercise capacity and quality of life. In conclusion, taking into consideration the complecity of HF syndrome, combining and tailoring different ET modalities according to each patient's baseline clinical characteristics (i.e., exercise capacity, comorbidity, frailty status, personal needs, preferences and goals) seem the wiliest approach for exercise prescription. The present re-view aims at discussing the rececent evidences on the effects of exercise training in patients with chronic HF (with both reduced and preserved left ventricular function). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hormonal abnormalities are quite common in chronic heart failure (CHF). The most studied hormonal axis in CHF is the impairment of Growth Hormone (GH)/Insulin Growth Factor-1(IGF-1), which in turn is defined either by a blunted response to GH stimulation test or low serum IGF-1 values. Several independent groups reported that the presence of an abnormal GH/IGF-1 status in CHF is associated with a more severe disease, impaired functional capacity and reduced Survival rates. After the first encouraging results, double -blind controlled trials showed a neutral effect of the GH administration in patients. However, further studies reported positive results, when a GH-therapy is implemented only in those patients presenting a GH deficiency (replacement therapy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]