Prehabilitation and heart failure: main outcomes in the COVID-19 era

S. Giovannini, D. Coraci, C. Loreti, L. Castelli, F. Di Caro, M. Fiori, L.M. Imperia, G.G. Madathil, L. Padua, D.A. Santagada, L. Biscotti, R. Bernabei

Department of Geriatrics and Orthopaedics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. letizia.castelli@policlinicogemelli.it

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• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases

OBJECTIVE: The advent of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in an increase in sedentary behavior, with consequences on cardiopulmonary capacity, especially in the elderly population. Prehabilitation is a strategy usually used before a surgical procedure to improve functional capacity; however, it can be used for non-surgical patients and not in the acute phase of disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a prehabilitation program, using telerehabilitation, in frail elderly patients with chronic heart failure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a randomized, controlled, single-blind study. Fifteen patients with chronic heart failure were randomized into three groups: two active groups (telerehabilitation and in-person) and the control group. Patients in the active groups underwent a rehabilitation program divided into two 4-week periods, for 45-60 minutes per day, 2 days per week.

RESULTS: In the Study Group, the quality of life significantly improved (EQoL-5D), and between the two groups a statistically significant difference in the motor dimension of SF-36 was identified.

CONCLUSIONS: The telerehabilitation prehabilitation program for patients with chronic heart failure was confirmed to be effective and not inferior to a prehabilitation program performed in-person, avoiding the worsening of some domains of quality of life and motor performance, and leading to the improvement of others.

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