Exercise ‘helps heart failure patients to live longer’

A new study has indicated that people with heart failure can benefit from a greater life expectancy if they exercise regularly.

Conducted by the University of Exeter, the study analysed data from 23 randomised trials of exercise that included at least 50 heart failure patients, who were followed up for six months or longer. In total, 4,043 patients with heart failure were included in the research.

It was shown that exercise was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality and an 11 percent reduced risk of hospitalisation, compared with those who did no exercise.

This is because physical fitness improves the oxygen supply to the heart and reduces the likelihood of abnormal rhythms, while also enhancing circulation in the peripheral vasculature, thus reducing the heart's workload.

The findings should serve to address the concerns that many heart failure patients have about exercise potentially being harmful due to the nature of their conditions.

Professor Rod Taylor, chair of health services research and director of the Exeter Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "The message for heart failure patients is clear: exercise is good for you, it will make you feel better, and it could potentially make you live longer."