Patients with Heart Failure During and After Inpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation

• Published in: Vascular health and risk management Vol. 17; pp. 49 - 58
• Main Authors: Schürmann, Juliane, Noack, Frank, Bethge, Steffi, Heinze, Viktoria, Schlitt, Axel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Aged; Anxiety; Beta blockers; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Bombast von Hohenheim, Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus (Paracelsus) (1493-1541); Cardiac patients; Cardiac Rehabilitation - adverse effects; Cardiac Rehabilitation - mortality; Cardiology Service, Hospital; Cardiovascular disease; Development and progression; Dyspnea; Ejection fraction; Ergometry; Exercise; Female; Germany; Health Status; Heart; Heart failure; Heart Failure - diagnosis; Heart Failure - mortality; Heart Failure - physiopathology; Heart Failure - rehabilitation; heart failure • cardiac rehabilitation • inpatient rehabilitation; Heart rate; Humans; Illnesses; Inpatients; Male; Medical ethics; Medical prognosis; Medical societies; Middle Aged; Mortality; Original Research; Patients; Physical fitness; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Recovery of Function; Rehabilitation; Stroke Volume; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Function, Left; Germany; heart failure; cardiac rehabilitation; inpatient rehabilitation
• ISSN: 1178-2048; 1176-6344; 1178-2048
• DOI: 10.2147/VHRM.S276465

Heart failure is the third most fatal disease in Germany and generates considerable treatment costs. The multimodal program of inpatient rehabilitation can improve the symptoms and prognosis of these patients. At the present time, however, only few data are available on the effectiveness of rehabilitation for heart failure patients. After receiving study approval from the ethics committee of the Saxony-Anhalt Medical Association, 200 patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of heart failure were prospectively included in the study at Paracelsus-Harz-Clinic Bad Suderode, Quedlinburg, Germany. Baseline parameters such as age, gender, and BMI were documented. Outcome variables included NYHA classifications, quality of life, and mortality. For follow-up, the patients were contacted again by mail or phone after three and 12 months and, data on symptoms and serious events were recorded. The proportion of patients with a highly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was 13.5%, with a midrange reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) 33%, and with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) 53.5%. The mean age was 64 ± 11.9 years, the proportion of women 24.1%. The effects of rehabilitation were documented by low overall mortality (no patient died during the stay, only 4% of the patients died in the 12-month follow-up) and an improvement in NYHA classification during and after the inpatient rehabilitation. This monocentric study showed effects both for symptoms (improvement in NYHA classifications) and prognosis (overall mortality) after rehabilitation. These data reflect the effectiveness of multimodal rehabilitation and underscore the need for rehabilitation in patients diagnosed with heart failure after an acute event and hospital stay or who present with chronic deterioration.