Real-world experience of feasibility and efficacy of electrical muscle stimulation in elderly patients with acute heart failure: A randomized controlled study.

Arenja, Nisha; Mueller, Christian; Tomilovskaya, Elena; Koryak, Yuri; Poltavskaya, Maria; Saner, Hugo (2021). Real-world experience of feasibility and efficacy of electrical muscle stimulation in elderly patients with acute heart failure: A randomized controlled study. International journal of cardiology, 344, pp. 113-119. Elsevier 10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.09.062

Text Arenja_IntJCardiol_2021.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (1MB)

BACKGROUND

Reduced aerobic capacity and deconditioning contributes to morbidity and mortality in elderly acute heart failure (AHF) patients. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) has shown to be a suitable alternative to exercise in AHF. However, feasibility and efficacy are unknown in a real-world setting.

METHODS

This is a prospective, open label blinded, randomized, controlled study, investigating feasibility and efficacy of high-intensity versus low-intensity EMS versus controls in elderly AHF patients. Patients and investigators were blinded to the intervention. EMS was offered to >60 years old AHF patients, initiated during hospitalization and continued at home. Outcome measures included changes in 6-min walk distance (6-MWTD), functional capacity and quality-of-life at 3 and 6 weeks.

RESULTS

Among 97 consecutive AHF patients (78.1 ± 9.4 years, 42.3% females), 60 (61.9%) were eligible for EMS. Of these, 27 provided written informed consent and were randomly assigned to high-intensity (n = 10), low-intensity EMS (n = 9) and controls (n = 8). 13/27 completed the intervention. Main reason for dropouts was intolerance of the overall intervention burden. MACE occurred in 5 and were not associated with the study. EMS groups showed significant improvement of 6-MWTD (controls vs low-intensity p = 0.018) and of independence in daily living (for both p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in 6-MWDT suggest efficacy of EMS. Whereas all tolerated EMS well, the burden of study intervention was too high and resulted in a consent rate of <50% and high dropouts, which limit the interpretability of our data. Less demanding EMS protocols are required to evaluate the full potential of EMS in elderly AHF patients.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

3 since deposited on 14 Oct 2021
0 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item