Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Εργοσπιρομετρία και Καρδιοαναπνευστική ΑποκατάστασηLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Thomopoulos Thomas
Supervisors info:
Μαρία Μαριδάκη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, ΤΕΦΑΑ, ΕΚΠΑ
Αναστάσιος Φιλίππου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ειρήνη Γραμματοπούλου, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Φυσικοθεραπείας, Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής
Original Title:
Επίδραση της άσκησης στην ποιότητα ζωής των ασθενών με χρόνια καρδιακή ανεπάρκεια
Translated title:
The effect of exercise on the quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure
Summary:
INTRODUCTION. Limited exercise capacity and dyspnea are typical symptoms of patients suffering from heart failure. This leads to a poor quality of life for these patients. It is known the positive effect of exercise through its pleiotropic action concerning both the central but mainly the peripheral adaptations. We also know that it improves the quality of life of patients by increasing their functional capacity by improving the symptoms of HF and reducing hospital admissions. However, the profile of patients who are most profitable has not been fully elucidated.
PURPOSE. The purpose of the study is to show the effect of exercise on the quality of life of patients with heart failure between the ages of 40 and 80 who are not subjected to a rehabilitation program but assessing the level of daily physical activity. The aim is still to study the correlations of certain patient characteristics such as body mass index (BMI), left ventricular ejection fraction, risk factors for coronary artery disease with the quality of life and activity of individuals and to find the profile of patients who benefit most from exercise.
METHODOLOGY. In the present study, were studied the cases of 100 patients who were hospitalized and monitored at the "Elpis General Hospital”. Admission criteria for the study were patients suffering from chronic stable HF. They had not been hospitalized in the last month and they did not have co-morbidities that made exercise difficult. The patients initially completed a set of questions about personal data, somatometric parameters and a brief medical history. After that they completed two questionnaires, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure and the IPAQ-GR Questionnaire.
RESULTS. The results of the study showed a high positive correlation between quality of life and physical activity. It has been shown that there is a moderate positive correlation between physical activity and the ejection fraction and a weak positive correlation between the quality of life and the ejection fraction. Regarding the correlation between physical activity and body mass index, we showed that there is a high negative correlation. A modest negative correlation appeared to exist between the quality of life of patients suffering from heart failure and the body mass index.
CONCLUSIONS. Exercise is a therapeutic tool that can greatly help patients suffering from HF. Patients with HF should adopt an overall healthy lifestyle that goes beyond the exercise to proper nutrition and control of their body weight (maintaining BMI within normal limits). Exercise causes improvement in the quality of life of HF patients, and the low ejection fraction should not discourage the physician or the patient. There is a need to design large studies to clarify the effect of obesity and body mass index on quality of life and physical activity in patients with HF.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Exercise, Physical activity, Heart failure, Quality of life
