Effects of novel respiratory physiotherapy on exercise tolerance in hospitalized patients with heart failure

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16442
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Kitasato University
• Principal Investigator: Hamazaki Nobuaki 北里大学, 大学病院, 主任 (40448973)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 心不全 / 呼吸筋力 / リハビリテーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the influences of respiratory muscle strength on exercise tolerance and prognosis in patients who were admitted for heart failure (HF) treatment. As the results, we found that patients with HF and respiratory muscle weakness (RMW) likely had breathlessness during exercise and had a significant decrease in exercise tolerance. Moreover, HF patients with RMW at hospital discharge showed significantly higher mortality as compared to those without RMW. Conversely, we also found that increased respiratory muscle strength following cardiac rehabilitation was significantly associated with improved exercise tolerance and reduced risk of re-hospitalization.
From these research results, two papers were accepted for publication in English journals. Besides, four presentations were awarded by several congresses.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

臨床において呼吸筋力は簡便に測定できる。心不全患者の呼吸筋力が健常者の70%程度に低下することは先行研究で明らかとなっていた。
我々の研究結果から、心不全患者における呼吸筋力測定が患者のリスク層別化や治療の効果判定に有用であることが明らかとなった。また、呼吸筋力の向上を目的としたリハビリテーションが、患者の運動耐容能を向上するばかりでなく予後を改善する可能性も示された。