Perceived Lack of Social Support Impacts Exercise for Heart Failure Patients

the The Cardiology Advisor take:

According to new research published in Circulation: Heart Failure, lack of social support may impact heart failure patients' ability to exercise.

In the HF-ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training) trial, researchers studied 2279 patients who were randomly assigned to receive either usual care or usual care plus a 36-session supervised exercise program. Patients' perceptions were measured using a survey that evaluated 10 potential barriers to exercise (eg, finances, child care, weather). 

In the exercise group, those with the highest perceived social support exercised more (average 118 minutes per week) at 12 months compared to those with the lowest perceived social support (average 92 minutes per week). A previous HF-ACTION analysis that studied exercise intensity along with time found that moderate exercise was associated with a decreased risk of death from heart disease or heart failure hospitalization.

"Competing responsibilities and lack of support may prevent patients with heart failure from participating in exercise programs. Assessing a patient's social support system and barriers that may interfere with their exercise program may help medical professionals to customize exercise programs that better fit individual patient needs," said lead author Lauren B. Cooper, MD, of Duke University School of Medicine.