Article

Patients with exercise capacity of <5 metabolic equivalents (METs) are
considered to have a high risk of death. The aim of this study was to determine
age-related differences in physical activity associated with an exercise capacity
of >/=5 METs in chronic heart failure (CHF) outpatients. METHODS: We enrolled 157
stable CHF patients (79.6% men, age 60.3 +/- 11.5 years).
Patients were divided
into two age-based groups (middle-aged, <65 years, n = 97) and (older-aged, >/=65
years, n = 60). Peak oxygen uptake (peak (V)O(2)) was assessed by cardiopulmonary
exercise testing. We further divided patients into groups according to exercise
capacity: >/=5 METs and <5 METs. Physical activity was assessed by measuring the
average number of steps/day for 1 week with an electronic pedometer. RESULTS:
Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to select cutoff values for
steps associated with an exercise capacity of >/=5 METs in the middle- and
older-aged patients. Cutoff values of 6045 steps in the middle-aged and 6070
steps in the older-aged patients were determined. CONCLUSIONS: Both middle- and
older-aged CHF patients with exercise capacity of >/=5 METs completed
approximately 6000 steps/day. This could become a target amount for minimal
physical activity that could contribute to increased exercise capacity in CHF
patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: * Middle-aged and older-aged chronic
heart failure (CHF) patients with a measured exercise capacity of >/=5 METs
completed approximately 6000 steps/day as measured by electronic pedometer. *
This amount of steps could become a target amount for minimal physical activity
that could contribute to increased exercise capacity in CHF patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS