Key result
Cardiac rehabilitation for patients with left ventricular assist devices or heart transplants improves exercise capacity, skeletal muscle function, and quality of life.
Why the study?
Patients with LVAD or HT often continue to experience low exercise capacity, dyspnea, or fatigue, but limited evidence means there is no consensus on a specific cardiac rehabilitation strategy.
Does cardiac rehabilitation improve exercise capacity, skeletal muscle function, and quality of life in patients with left ventricular assist device or heart transplantation?
Does cardiac rehabilitation improve exercise capacity, skeletal muscle function, and quality of life in patients with left ventricular assist device or heart transplantation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is a proposed strategy to improve exercise capacity and quality of life in LVAD and heart transplant patients, requiring tailored approaches such as accounting for autonomic denervation.
May support cardiac rehabilitation in LVAD and transplant patients; leaves open optimal protocols and need for randomized confirmation.
Approximately 5-25% of patients with heart failure progress to end-stage despite optimal medical treatment and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant (HT) could be treatment option. After these treatments, the patients show still low exercise capacity and complain of dyspnea or fatigue. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for patients with LVAD or HT has been proposed to improve exercise capacity, skeletal muscle function and quality of life. As the evidence is limited, there is no consensus on a specific strategy. CR in LVAD patients includes appropriate screening for safety and starting with early mobilization and individualized exercise prescription. CR in HT patients is similar to that of other heart surgery patients with only one unique exception, autonomic denervation. This review summarizes the current evidence and specific method of CR in LVAD and HT patients.
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Byeong‐Ju Lee (2022) conducted a review in Heart failure, Left ventricular assist device (LVAD), Heart transplantation. Cardiac rehabilitation was evaluated. Cardiac rehabilitation for patients with left ventricular assist devices or heart transplants improves exercise capacity, skeletal muscle function, and quality of life.
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