Amine Ghram1, Yaser Jenab, Rahman Soori, Siroos Choobineh, Ali Hosseinsabet, Sepideh Niyazi, Shapoor Shirani, Akbar Shafiee, Arash Jalali, Carl J Lavie, Ulrik Wisløff. 1. Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Interventional Cardiology, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Head of Imaging Department, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Cardiovascular Research, Tehran Heart Center, Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinical School-the University of Queensland School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA Cardiac Exercise Research Group at the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Abstract
PURPOSE:High-intensity interval training (HIIT) appears to be safe and effective in cardiovascular diseases. However, there is a paucity of data on the effect of HIIT for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The present randomized controlled trial (RCT) therefore examined the efficiency and safety of HIIT in patients with acute PE. METHODS: In single-center parallel open-label RCT, 24 patients (5 women) discharged recently with a diagnosis of intermediate-high risk acute PE were randomized (1:1) to supervised HIIT (n = 12) or control (n = 12) group. The primary outcomes were exercise capacity evaluated in terms of the estimated maximal oxygen uptake (eVO2max), lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FEV1), right ventricular (RV) function, (RV/left ventricle diameter (LV) ratio) and health related quality of life (HRQoL). Safety was the secondary outcome. RESULTS: 8-weeks of HIIT improved eVO2max (+65%, p < 0.001), FEV1 (%) (+17%, p = 0.031), and RV/LV ratio diameter (-27%, p = 0.005), as well as HRQoL. All patients in the HIIT group tolerated exercise training without serious adverse events. The control group did not improve (p > 0.05) eVO2max, RV/LV ratio diameter, or HRQoL; however, FEV1 (%) was slightly reduced (-6%, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: The present RCT of a tailored center based HIIT intervention provides preliminary evidence that this intervention could improve exercise capacity, lung function, RV function, and HRQoL without serious adverse events, which could provide marked clinical benefits following PE. Further larger multicenter randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these promising findings.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) appears to be safe and effective in cardiovascular diseases. However, there is a paucity of data on the effect of HIIT for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The present randomized controlled trial (RCT) therefore examined the efficiency and safety of HIIT in patients with acute PE. METHODS: In single-center parallel open-label RCT, 24 patients (5 women) discharged recently with a diagnosis of intermediate-high risk acute PE were randomized (1:1) to supervised HIIT (n = 12) or control (n = 12) group. The primary outcomes were exercise capacity evaluated in terms of the estimated maximal oxygen uptake (eVO2max), lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FEV1), right ventricular (RV) function, (RV/left ventricle diameter (LV) ratio) and health related quality of life (HRQoL). Safety was the secondary outcome. RESULTS: 8-weeks of HIIT improved eVO2max (+65%, p < 0.001), FEV1 (%) (+17%, p = 0.031), and RV/LV ratio diameter (-27%, p = 0.005), as well as HRQoL. All patients in the HIIT group tolerated exercise training without serious adverse events. The control group did not improve (p > 0.05) eVO2max, RV/LV ratio diameter, or HRQoL; however, FEV1 (%) was slightly reduced (-6%, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: The present RCT of a tailored center based HIIT intervention provides preliminary evidence that this intervention could improve exercise capacity, lung function, RV function, and HRQoL without serious adverse events, which could provide marked clinical benefits following PE. Further larger multicenter randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these promising findings.