Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patiens with heart failure and chronic pulmonary disease

Abstract

The epidemiology of chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are well known. Each of these conditions has an important impact on quality of life and functional status and on healthcare consumption. Through shared risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms CHF and COPD coexist more frequently than expected from the respective populations observed by the pulmonologist or cardiologist. This has important prognostic and therapeutic implications. Several registry-based studies and post-hoc analyses of large randomized controlled trials evaluating COPD as a comorbidity in CHF outpatients have highlighted the negative prognostic impact of the comorbidity in terms of constraint in use of recommended treatments. Among them, the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation may play a significant role. Even in these patients, in fact, a rehabilitative approach focused on physical training programs can positively impact functional autonomy, exercise tolerance and quality of life.