PRIME HFrEF: Novel Exercise for Older Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

This study is a two-arm, prospective randomized clinical trial with participants randomized, in a 1:1 ratio to 4 weeks of either standard progressive whole-body aerobic plus resistance training (COMBO) or PRIME training (Phase 1), followed by 8 weeks of progressive whole-body COMBO assigned to all participants (Phase 2). The objective of this study is to determine whether PRIME exercise training can outperform traditional (COMBO) exercise training to improve outcomes in HFrEF patients. The study aims to test 92 HFrEF patients (46 randomized to PRIME and 46 to COMBO training) over a 5-year period. Data will be collected at each visit and patients will return for a 6-month follow up from the date of the final visit.

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects must be able to communicate meaningfully with the investigator and must be legally competent to provide written informed consent.
• Subjects may be of either sex with age > 65 years.
• Subjects must be diagnosed with HFrEF as per established echocardiographic criteria (New York Heart Association Class II-III) with an ejection fraction <45%.
• Cardiologist approve after thorough chart review and physical examination
• Hemoglobin of at least 10.0 g/dL

Exclusion criteria

• Progressive worsening of exercise tolerance or dyspnea at rest or on exertion over previous 3-5 days
• Significant ischemia at low exercise intensities (<2 METS or ~50 W)
• Uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c >10%)
• Acute systemic illness of fever
• Recent embolism (in the 6 weeks)
• Deep Vein Thrombophlebitis
• Active pericarditis or myocarditis
• Severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve area <1.0 cm2)
• Regurgitant valvular heart disease requiring surgery
• Myocardial infarction within previous 3 weeks
• New onset atrial fibrillation (in the last 4 weeks)
• Resting Heart Rate >120bpm