Effects of a comprehensive rehabilitation program on quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure

Meyer, K; Laederach-Hofmann, K (2003). Effects of a comprehensive rehabilitation program on quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure. Progress in cardiovascular nursing, 18(4), pp. 169-76. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley

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This evaluation was performed to assess the effects of a new, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program on generic and disease-specific quality of life related to exercise tolerance in stable chronic heart failure patients. Fifty-one patients (aged 59+/-11 years; 84% men) were treated for 12 weeks. Patients underwent optimized drug treatment, exercise training, and counseling and education. At baseline and at the end of the program, functional status, exercise capacity, and quality of life were assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Left ventricular ejection fraction and New York Heart Association functional class, as well as measures of physical fitness and walking distance covered in 6 minutes, improved significantly (by 11%-20% and by 58% on average, respectively). Physical functioning (effect size, 0.38; p<0.0001), role functioning (effect size, 0.17; p<0.05), and mental component score (effect size, 0.47; p<0.0001) on the questionnaire improved significantly. Disease-specific quality of life improved in sum score (effect size, 0.24; p<0.0001) and physical component score (effect size, 0.35; p<0.0001). The latter was inversely correlated to improvement in peak power output (r= -0.31; p<0.05). In patients with stable chronic heart failure, significant improvements in both generic and disease-specific quality of life related to improved exercise tolerance can be achieved within 12 weeks of comprehensive rehabilitation.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition
UniBE Contributor:	Laederach, Kurt
ISSN:	0889-7204
ISBN:	14605517
Publisher:	Wiley
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:01
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:19
PubMed ID:	14605517
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/26701 (FactScience: 86968)