Sufferers of chronic heart failure can increase their chances of survival through exercise, accordin...
Sufferers of chronic heart failure can increase their chances of survival through exercise, according to research reported in the British Medical Journal.
Evidence of the benefits of exercise to heart failure patients has until now been lacking. However, scientists found that properly supervised exercise programmes can increase the life span of sufferers.
Nine trials involving 801 patients with heart failure were analysed, with 395 receiving exercise training and 406 receiving usual care. A total of 88 deaths were recorded in the group of patients taking exercise, compared to 105 deaths in the control group.
Researchers at the Department of Clinical Cardiology at London's Royal Brompton Hospital, concluded in their report: "Our meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials shows that exercise training significantly improves survival time in patients with chronic heart failure. Time to death or admission to hospital was also significantly extended."
