Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Abstract

Despite remarkable progress in heart failure management, fatigue, breathlessness, exercise intolerance and muscle wasting remain the hallmarks of the disease leading to impaired quality of life (QoL) and capacity for activities of daily living (ADLs). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training on the quality of life of individuals with biventricular heart failure (BVF). 66 subjects with chronic BVF in Class II and III of New York Heart Association (mean age 54.0�±1.6 years) recruited from a Nigerian tertiary hospital participated in the study. They were randomized into exercise group and control group. They were on their prescribed medications and underwent education/counseling sessions. In addition, subjects in the exercise group performed aerobic and resistance training thrice weekly for 12 weeks. The disease-specific QoL was assessed using Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) while SF-36 was used to assess the generic form of QoL. Data was analysed using the SPSS package version 17 and presented using descriptive statistics of Mean�±SEM. Level of significance was set at p<0.05. The results showed that subjects in exercise group had significant improvement in all domains of QoL while significant improvement was observed only in knowledge and perception domains of subjects in control group after 12 weeks of exercise training. Therapeutic exercise improves both the general health and symptoms experienced by individuals with chronic Bi-ventricular heart failure.

Biography

Olufunke Adewumi Ajiboye is the Director/Head of Physiotherapy Services in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos Nigeria. She has published more than 15 papers in peer reviewed journals of international standard and has presented her research outcomes in more than 12 conferences both at national and international level. Her PhD thesis won the best from the College of Medicine/Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos during 2013/2014 Convocation. Part of her research outcome won the best poster presentation award in Singapore at WCPT Congress in May 2015. Many of her research outcomes had won awards both at national and international level. Recently, she was conferred with Fellowship Award from National Postgraduate Physiotherapy College of Nigeria and won Award of Excellence from Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy.

Email: oaajiboye@yahoo.com