American heart journal
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American heart journal · Jul 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of exercise training on left ventricular filling at rest and during exercise in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
The aim of our study was to determine whether exercise training can augment left ventricular diastolic filling at rest and during exercise in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and whether any correlation exists between changes in diastolic filling and changes in exercise tolerance. Forty-three consecutive patients (mean age, 54 +/- 8 years) with ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (election fraction <30%) were studied. Group T (29 patients) was exercised on a cycle ergometer 3 times a week for 8 weeks at 60% of peak oxygen uptake. ⋯ The independent predictors of the increase in peak oxygen uptake were changes in work capacity and peak early filling rate. The data demonstrate that exercise training can improve the exercise capacity of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe systolic-dysfunction. The increase in early diastolic filling at rest and during exercise may contribute to the improvement in peak oxygen uptake.