Loading...
Most patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction are overweight or obese, and effective pharmacologic therapies are limited. In this study, 100 such patients (mean age, 67; 81 women) without substantial comorbidities were randomized to 20 weeks of diet only, exercise only, both interventions, or an “attention” control group (telephone calls every 2 weeks). Heart failure was symptomatic in all patients.
Exercise capacity, as measured by peak oxygen consumption during cardiopulmonary exercise testing, increased significantly from baseline in both single-intervention groups; the combination group achieved additive effects. Body weight decreased by 7% with diet only, 3% with exercise only, 10% with exercise and diet, and 1% in co…