Remodeling, Ventricular clinical trials

HIIT Effects on Long-term Survival in Heart Failure Patients

The American Heart Association announces that exercise training should be considered for all stable cardiac patients (Class I, Level A). Therefore, exercise is an important issue for cardiac patients. It has also been reported that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) brings benefits on reversal of cardiac remodeling and long-term survival for HF patients. This study explores high-intensity interval training (HIIT) effects on long-term survivals in heart failure (HF) patients, diagnosed according to the Framingham criteria. This retrospective cohort study is going to analyze HF patients diagnosed between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2022 in a tertiary care hospital. All HF patients underwent the multidisciplinary disease management program (MDP) in the hospital were initially surveyed. Participants were further categorized into HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (left ventricle ejection fraction [LVEF]<40%), HF with mildly reduced EF (HFmrEF) (LVEF>=40% and LVEF< 50%), and HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) ( LVEF>=50%) based on the initial 2-D echocardiography. Participants will be further divided into HIIT+MDP or MDP only in each group based on patient preference. Age, sex, body height, body weight, disease duration, etiology for HF, co-morbidities, and medication were documented during follow-up (F/U). B-type natriuretic peptide, natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) for peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and 2-D echocardiography for LV geometry were repeatedly assessed during follow-up. The end-point is the death of the patients or the date of May 31, 2022. All mortality causes and overall survival rates will be determined at the end of F/U. HIIT effects on long-term survival (Kaplan-Meier survival curve) for patients with different heart failure phenotypes will be estimated by log rank test. Continuous variables between different groups were analyzed by student t-test, while continuous variables before and after HIIT within groups were assessed by paired t-test. Other non-continuous variables such as sex, and co-morbidities were compared by chi-square test.