Mixed
In obese older patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF), both caloric restriction and aerobic exercise training significantly increase peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2), and their combined effect is additive.
If you are an older adult with heart failure and excess weight, both diet and exercise can significantly improve your stamina (oxygen consumption). Doing both together provides the biggest boost. While there is a common belief that being overweight protects heart failure patients, structured weight loss through diet and exercise is safe and effective for improving your ability to exercise, provided you are clinically stable.
By main effects analysis, peak VO2 was increased significantly by both interventions: exercise, 1.2 mL/kg body mass/min (95% CI, 0.7 to 1.7), P < .001; diet, 1.3 mL/kg body mass/min (95% CI, 0.8 to 1.8), P < .001. The combination of exercise + diet was additive (complementary) for peak VO2 (joint effect, 2.5 mL/kg/min).
Why this rating
Randomized, attention-controlled, factorial clinical trial with a large sample size (n=100) and high adherence rates.
Source
Effect of Caloric Restriction or Aerobic Exercise Training on Peak Oxygen Consumption and Quality of Life in Obese Older Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Dalane W. Kitzman et al. · JAMA · 2016
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