Key result
Exercise training improves functional capacity in women with heart failure, but fails to improve MLHFQ scores.
Why the study?
Women with HF present distinct clinical and hormonal characteristics and remain underrepresented in exercise-based randomized trials, prompting an evaluation of the effects of exercise training on aerobic capacity and quality of life in this population.
Does structured exercise training improve aerobic capacity, functional capacity, and quality of life in adult women with heart failure?
Meta-Analysis
Does structured exercise training improve aerobic capacity, functional capacity, and quality of life in adult women with heart failure?
Structured exercise training improves aerobic capacity (VO2peak) with moderate certainty in women with heart failure, though its impact on quality of life and functional walk distance remains uncertain due to limited and imprecise trial data.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Exercise training improves aerobic capacity in women with heart failure; extends prior RCT evidence to this underrepresented group while leaving quality-of-life effects uncertain.
Background Women with heart failure (HF) present distinct clinical and hormonal characteristics and remain underrepresented in exercise-based randomized trials. Given the reduction in aerobic capacity and quality of life observed in this population, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise training on these outcomes in women with HF. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and LILACS through October 2025. Randomized controlled trials including adult women with HF undergoing structured exercise interventions were selected. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed for peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak), six-minute walk distance (6MWT), and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) scores. Results Four randomized trials met the inclusion criteria. Exercise training significantly improved VO₂peak and increased 6MWT distance. However, pooled analysis of MLHFQ did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement. The certainty of evidence was moderate for VO₂peak and very low for 6MWT and MLHFQ due to risk of bias and imprecision. Conclusion Exercise training improves aerobic capacity in women with HF with moderate-certainty evidence. Evidence supporting functional capacity and quality-of-life improvements remains highly uncertain. Further adequately powered, women-specific randomized trials are needed.
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Leite et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Heart failure. Structured exercise training was evaluated on Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), six-minute walk distance (6MWT), and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) scores. Exercise training across 4 RCTs improved VO2peak and walking distance in women with heart failure, without improving MLHFQ quality-of-life scores.
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