Effects of exercise training on cardiac output in subjects with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) - a review.

BACKGROUND

Cardiac output (CO) is the product of the heart rate (HR) and the stroke volume (SV).over time. It is a direct marker of myocardial function. In healthy subjects, the myocard normally responds well and CO improves after exercise training. However, the effect of exercise on CO in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is less clear. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically summarise the current evidence on the effects of an exercise intervention on CO in subjects with HFpEF.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A literature search in Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, and SportDiscus was performed. Included were all RCTs that compared the effect of exercise training on CO in patients with HFpEF and were published before 11 April 2024. Risk of bias assessment was performed by using Cochrane's RoB 2 tool. The review was reported according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

We identified 750 abstracts that were screened for eligibility. A total of 11 selected full texts were analysed. One study fulfilled our inclusion criteria. No significant difference in the change of CO between the intervention and control groups at rest or during maximal exercise after the intervention was detected.

DISCUSSION: The identification of only one RCT hallmarks the sparse evidence on alterations of CO prior to post an exercise intervention in subjects with HFpEF. This might be because other markers such as V̇O2max are much easier to measure.