Effect of Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation on Patients With Chronic Heart Failure After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) with individualized exercise prescription in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in a randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

A total of 60 patients with chronic HF who received TAVR treatment were randomly divided into the control group (n = 30) and exercise training (ET) group (n = 30). The control group was treated with conventional rehabilitation, and the ET group was given personalized exercise-based CR based on a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX). The CPX parameters, echocardiography, 6-minute walk test distance, and quality of life were evaluated in the two groups.

RESULTS

All patients who completed symptom-restricted CPX showed no complications. After the 12-week rehabilitation period, the levels of anaerobic threshold, peak oxygen uptake, peak oxygen pulse, peak power, left ventricular ejection fraction, and 6-minute walk test distance in the ET group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P  < .05). Scores on the Minnesota Life with Heart Failure Questionnaire in the ET group were lower than those in the control group ( P < .05).

CONCLUSION

Exercise-based CR significantly improves cardiopulmonary function, exercise tolerance, and quality of life in patients with chronic HF who undergo TAVR.