Randomized Trial of Nordic Walking vs. Standard Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Heart Failure

Heart Failure Clinical Trial

Official title: Randomized Trial of Nordic Walking vs. Standard Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Heart Failure

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The main purpose of our project is to see if a 12-week program of Nordic walking is better than standard exercise therapy for increasing exercise capacity (measured by how far people can walk in 6 minutes) and increasing quality of life (measured by having people fill out two questionnaires). We will also see if Nordic walking: improves heart performance (measured by heart ultrasound); improves how active people are (measured by an activity monitor); increases aerobic fitness (measured by a treadmill test); improves body composition (measured by waist size); and reduces hormone levels in the blood.

Clinical Trial Description

A single-site, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial will be conducted (Appendix C) at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). Patients with stable HF referred to cardiac rehabilitation will undergo baseline assessment and then be randomly assigned (1:1) to either standard exercise therapy (consisting of regular walking and a resistance exercise program) or Nordic walking. Follow-up measures will be taken at the end of intervention (12 weeks) and after a 14-week no-intervention observation period (26 weeks). After initial randomization to treatment group, participants will be stratified by treatment group and randomly assigned to one of three follow-up measurement conditions at 12 weeks: echocardiograph and cardiopulmonary test (N=80); cardiopulmonary test only (N=60); or no follow-up echocardiograph or cardiopulmonary test (N=76). The primary outcomes will be: a) changes in exercise capacity measured by 6MWT; and b) changes in disease-specific HRQL measured by the MLHFQ. Additional measures will examine the effects of the exercise interventions on: cardiac performance; leisure time activity; cardio-respiratory fitness; body composition; neurohormonal activation; and generic HRQL ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Heart Failure

• NCT number: NCT02061319
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 2014
• Completion date: August 31, 2017