The benefits of physical activity on patients with heart failure: meta-analysis

Objective: this study aimed to compare the impact of physical activity (PA) on improving exercise capacity (EC), functional capacity (FC), and physical function (PF), as well as its influence on left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and age (middle-aged, or elderly) in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: this study used five databases namely Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro, Cochrane,and additional resources, following PRISMA guidelines. Furthermore, the analysis was carried out using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: a total of 27 articles with randomized control trial (RCT) design were included in this review. PA had a significant effect on increasing EC (SDM: 0.32, 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.65, I2: 82%), FC (SDM: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.29 to 1.01, I2: 81%), and PF (SDM: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.65, I2: 60%). Additionally, there was a significant effect on LVEF <45% (SDM: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.69, I2: 80%), LVEF >45% (SDM: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.76, I2: 45%), elderly patients (SDM: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.74, I2: 79%), and middle-aged patients (SDM: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.67, I2: 66%) with HF using the Six Minutes Walking Test measurement (6MWT).Conclusion: PA is highly beneficial for HF patients, serving as cardiac rehabilitation in improving EC, FC, and PF, including patients with LVEF <45% or LVEF >45%, as well as for middleaged and elderly patients.