BENEFITS OF EXERCISE IN ELDERLY CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

仅使用运动测试和训练设施。 慢性充血性心力衰竭（CHF）继发于左室舒张功能降低 心室收缩功能在老年人中极为常见， 会导致功能能力的大幅下降。许多 临床医生限制老年心脏病患者的身体活动， 由于担心引起心肌缺血而失败， CHF的症状，或引起严重的心律失常，从而促进 功能和功能限制。 年轻的CHF患者可以 从定期的有氧运动训练中获得实质性的益处。的 有氧和阻力训练的有效性，以增加功能 老年CHF患者的独立性尚未得到解决。是我们 极限有氧抗阻训练假说 在老年人中可以安全地进行。这项前瞻性随机试验 将描述老年纽约心脏病患者的功能局限性 协会（NYHA）II级和III级心力衰竭患者，并确定 如果有氧/抗阻运动的组合方案更有效 在提高体力活动和最大 有氧能力这些目标将通过直接比较来评估， 有氧和有氧/阻力相结合的训练方案，以年龄- 在一项随机、前瞻性研究中， 设计运动训练对可能是 负责的利益将仔细评估，包括：1） 肌力，B）动脉顺应性，3）左心室改变 通过2D超声心动图和MUGA扫描评估功能。

Exercise Testing & Training Facility utilization only. Chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to a reduction in left ventricular systolic function is extremely common in the elderly and contributes to a substantial decline in functional capacity. Many clinicians limit the physical activity of older patients with heart failure due to a fear of precipitating myocardial ischemia, worsening the symptoms of CHF, or eliciting serious dysrhythmias, thus promoting deconditioning and functional limitations. Younger CHF patients can derive substantial benefits from a regular aerobic exercise training. The effectiveness of aerobic and resistive training to increase the functional independence of old patients with CHF has not been addressed. It is our hypothesis that symptom-limited aerobic and resistive exercise training can be safely performed in the elderly. This prospective, randomized trial will characterize the functional limitations of older New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II and III heart failure patients and determine if a combined protocol of aerobic/resistive exercise is more effective than aerobic training alone in improving physical activity and maximal aerobic capacity. These aims will be assessed by a direct comparison of the aerobic and combined aerobic/resistive training protocols to age- matched controls receiving usual care in a randomized, prospective study design. The effects of exercise training on the mechanisms that may be responsible for the benefits will be carefully assessed including: 1) muscle strength, b) arterial compliance, 3) alteration in left ventricular function as assessed by 2D echocardiography and MUGA scan.