Oral Session II. Exercise training in coronary artery disease: what is good for whom

Abstract

O385 Randomised comparison of the effects of interval aerobic plus strength training versus interval aerobic training alone on endothelium function in chronic heart failure ST Dimopoulos, V Anagnostakou, E Chatzimichail, L Karatzanos, K Malliaras, N Diakos, A Tasoulis, S Nanas Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Centre, ‘Evgenidio’ Hospital, University of Athens, Greece, 3rd Clinic of Cardiology, ‘Alexandra’ Hospital, University of Athens, Greece Topic: Cardiovascular rehabilitation Purpose: Exercise training confers beneficial effects on endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However the optimal form of training remains debated. This randomised study compared the effects of interval aerobic combined with strength training versus aerobic training alone on endothelial function in CHF patients. Methods: We studied 28 consecutive patients in optimally treated, stable CHF who were randomly assigned to 3 times weekly training sessions for 3 months, consisting of a) 40 min of aerobic interval training (30 sec effort 60 sec rest at intensity 100% VO2peak) (n=14), versus b) 20 min of similar aerobic, interval training plus 20 min of strength training of various muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, muscles of the shoulder zone, biceps) (n=14). All patients underwent maximal, symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing and ultrasound evaluation of endothelial function by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) before and after the programme. Results: Peak oxygen uptake increased significantly and similarly in both groups, from 15.7 4.0 to 17.2 3.7 ml/kg/min in the aerobic training alone group (p=0.03), and from 15.7 6.0 to 18.3 6.3 ml/kg/min in the combined training group (p=0.006). A significant improvement in FMD (p=0.002) was observed in the combined training group, in contrast to the aerobic training alone group (p=ns); the improvement was significantly greater in the combined training than in the aerobic training alone group (p <0.05). Conclusions: A 3-month exercise-training programme improved endothelial function and physical performance in CHF patients. Combining high-intensity, interval aerobic exercise with strength training had a greater beneficial effect on endothelial function than interval, aerobic exercise alone.