The Effect of Exercise Training and Detraining on Frailty and Fall Risk in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Summary

Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) is the endpoint for some cardiac and respiratory conditions as well as ageing affecting 1-2% of the global adult population. CHF requires a costly treatment, frequent hospitalizations due its severe complications leading CHF eventually to a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Another common complication of CHF is frailty. Frailty is a complex clinical syndrome associated with CHF, resulting from multiple organ impairment; physiological reserves decrease and vulnerability to stressors increase. Up to 79% of PwCHF are frail leading to reduced functional capacity, quality of life (QoL), and psychological well-being in CHF, and it is an independent predictor of mortality in cardiovascular disease.

The role of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs for PwCHF in preventing frailty has recently draw the attention of the scientific world. Exercise constitutes a unique effective and feasible non-pharmacological treatment for frailty in CHF as it offers such benefits that are irreplaceable by medical treatment, with no side effects, and cost-effective treatment. However, there are no studies examining the effect of training and detraining on muscle strength and balance, fall prevention and fear of falling in PwCHF.

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to examine whether a 6-month combined aerobic, strengthening and flexibility-mobility CR program and a 3-month de-training period will affect frailty and fall risk in PwCHF. One hundred participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: Group A (Exercise Group) will receive 3 sessions per week for 6 months and Group B(Control Group) will continue their usual physical activity, without participating in organized exercise programs.After the intervention for Group A' will follow a 3- month de-training period and Group B' will continue their normal physical activity. Prior to the group random allocation, part of our assessments at baseline and after 6 (Evaluation A') and 10 months (Evaluation B'), will include demographics and clinical history, physical examination, ECG and echocardiogram, patients' ability to perform daily activities, functional tests, static balance tests, body composition analysis and 24-h heart rhythm holter monitoring. Moreover, we will use questionnaires assessing the QoL of people with CHF, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, cognitive function, fear of falling, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour.

Conditions

• Chronic Heart Failure

Interventions

OTHER

Exercise Intervention

Patients that will be randomly assigned to this group will be invited to attend up to 72 exercise sessions (3 sessions per week) for 24 weeks (6 months) following a combined aerobic, strengthening and mobility-flexibility exercise program. After the exercise intervention, the will follow a 3-month de-training period, continuing their normal physical activity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Evangelia Kouidi, Professor · Director of Sports Medicine Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-10-01

Primary Completion

2025-09-30

Completion

2025-12-15

Countries

• Greece

Study Locations