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Exercise
Helps Heart Failure Patients
For many people with heart failure, gone are the days when
doctors advised them to rest and avoid physical activity.
Some people with heart failure, including those with unusual
heart rhythms, may need to be monitored during exercise,
according to the report. Others may be able to exercise
safely at home after they have undergone a supervised training
program.
"It seems counterintuitive, but walking, biking, swimming,
dancing--all kinds of aerobic exercises--can help improve
the patient's sense of well-being," Dr. Ileana L. Piña,
who headed the AHA committee that wrote the recommendations,
said in a statement. Piña is at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Exercise may provide several benefits to people with heart
failure, including improvements in blood-vessel function,
exercise capacity and quality of life, according to the
report in the March 4th issue of Circulation: Journal of
the American Heart Association. Exercise may also improve
the flow of oxygen to muscles and lower levels of hormones
that can contribute to heart failure symptoms.
The recommendations focus on aerobic activities, such as
riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill, but
resistance training, such as lifting light weights, may
improve muscle strength in people with heart failure, according
to the report. The AHA experts caution, however, that the
safety of resistance training in people with heart failure
needs to be confirmed in larger studies.
The AHA recommends an individualized approach to exercise.
People with heart failure should take it easy at first and
slowly increase their exercise as they become stronger.
Although exercise plans will vary from person to person,
the AHA recommends warming up and cooling down before and
after exercising.
"We know that a rapid sudden surge of adrenaline is
not good for anybody," Piña told Reuters Health.
"When people stop exercising, the adrenaline goes up
initially and that could leave a patient vulnerable to (abnormal
heart rhythms)."
Exercising 20 to 30 minutes three to five times per week
is a good goal, although people who become exhausted after
exercise may need to rest a day between sessions, according
to the report.
In heart failure, the heart becomes enlarged and loses its
ability to pump blood efficiently. Symptoms include breathlessness,
fatigue and swelling of the feet due to fluid accumulation.
SOURCE: Circulation 2003;107:1210-1225.
Article Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: N/A
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