Effect of diet and exercise on quality of life and heart failure

2016-09-01 10:08:02

More than 80% of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (the most common form of heart failure) are overweight or obese. Exercise intolerance is the primary symptom and a major factor in reduced quality of life. In this study, the authors researched if diet and exercise improves quality of life ^[1]. The trial was randomized, controlled, and done in an urban academic medical center. The intervention was twenty weeks of diet, exercise, or both. Multiple outcome measures were used. The results showed that there were no serious adverse effects. Body weight decreased in the diet group (7%) and in the exercise group (3%) and 10% in the control group. The authors conclude that among obese patients with clinically stable heart failure, caloric restriction and aerobic exercise improve peak VO2 and the effects may be additive. Neither intervention had a significant effect on quality of life scores.