Copyright © 2004 by the European Society of Cardiology.
Editorial
Can sedentary patients with heart failure achieve the beneficial effect of exercise training without moving?
University of Bergen, Central Hospital in Rogaland, Stavanger, Norway
* Correspondence to: Dr A. I. Larsen, Central Hospital in Rogaland, Cardiology Division, P.O. Box 8100, N4001 Stavanger, Norway. Tel: +47 51 518000; Fax: +47 51 519905
E-mail address: al-i-lar@online.no
Received 6 November 2003; accepted 20 November 2003
| The first 10% of the full text of this article appears below. |
See doi:10.1016/j.ehj.2003.09.027for the article to which this editorial refers
In the current issue of the journal Nuhr et al.1report a beneficial effect of chronic low-frequency stimulation (CLFS) to thigh and calf musculature on exercise performance and skeletal muscle histopathology in patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF).
Congestive heart failure is a clinical syndrome with a complex pathophysiology initiated by left ventricular dysfunction leading to systemic and pulmonary congestion and elevated peripheral vascular resistance. Fluid retention along with peripheral vasoconstriction and reduced skeletal muscle perfusion provides the pathophysiological basis for the symptoms. Coupled withinactivity the stage is set for deconditioning. Skeletal muscle atrophy, changes of fibre-composition (i.e. an increase of type II fibres which are mostly anaerobic, at
1. Exercise training
2. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation
3. Chronic low frequency muscle stimulation
4. What did we learn?
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Related articles in EHJ:
- Beneficial effects of chronic low-frequency stimulation of thigh muscles in patients with advanced chronic heart failure
- Martin J. Nuhr, Dirk Pette, Rudolf Berger, Michael Quittan, Richard Crevenna, Martin Huelsman, Guenther F. Wiesinger, Petra Moser, Veronika Fialka-Moser, and Richard Pacher
EHJ 2004 25: 136-143.[Abstract] [Full Text]