Feasibility of Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure (Pilot-CRHF)

Pilot Study to Determine Feasibility of Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure (Pilot-CRHF)

The proposed study will determine the willingness of patients for participation. Furthermore, the assessment of tests to identify eligible patients and the type of exercise intervention that goes along with a high patient compliance is crucial. Also, more information about possible factors preventing patients from participating is required. Therefore, if the patient is willing to participate, the investigators will assess patients' medical history, medication and QoL as well as parameters of routine diagnostics (i.e. echocardiography, laboratory testing, MRI). Following, while the in-patient stay due to cardiac decompensation, the investigators will conduct several assessment-tests to determine the physical status, the exercise capacity and the cognitive function. Moreover, physiotherapists will instruct the patients in the exercise program. After discharge from the hospital, physiotherapist will visit the patient at home to instruct them again in the exercises. Then, the patients will conduct the program on their own for a period of 12 weeks. During the exercise period, a doctoral student will visit the patients at home every 3 weeks to check whether they are doing the exercises correctly and to determine whether there are any problems with the program. After the exercise period of 12 weeks, the baseline characteristics will be assessed again at the University Hospital Leipzig.

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Inclusion Criteria:

• Chronic heart failure irrespective of the ejection fraction
• Recent history of acute cardiac decompensation leading to hospitalization

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients not willing to participate
• Patients with orthopedic diseases limiting their mobility
• Cognitive diseases that hinder adequate participation in the opinion of the investigator
• Inpatient rehabilitation.