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Exercise can help heart failure

Just 4 weeks of exercise has been shown to increase the breathing capacity and cardiac performance of patients with heart failure, according to a new study.

Heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump blood with normal efficiency.

The heart failure study

Researchers from Texas A&M University studied 366 heart failure patients in an Austrian rehabilitation center. The patients of an average age of 63 years undertook an exercise regime for 4 weeks.

Patients went for a brisk 45 min walk each day. In addition, they exercised 14 to 22 mins on stationary bikes 6 times a week.

The results

The researchers studied the patients before and then after the 4 week program with heart function tests, breathing tests, blood pressure and heart rate monitoring.

Patients all had a significant improvement in their breathing and cardiac performance at the end of the 4 week program. The study further highlights the positive impact exercise has on heart failure patients.

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