A new study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that regular exercise and dieting can improve exercise capacity and heart function in patients with a specific type of heart failure known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF).
HFPEF usually affects older women who are overweight or obese. The condition leads to shortness of breath and fatigue, which can make exercise difficult for patients who have it.
The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and performed by researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, followed 100 obese patients with HFPEF. The patients were divided into four groups of treatment—just diet, just exercise, both diet and exercise, and one control group that received no treatment.
The patients were then assessed after 20 weeks to measure peak exercise oxygen consumption. While all three of the treatment groups improved their exercise abilities, the group that both exercised and dieted had nearly twice the improvement of oxygen consumption.
Additionally, the study found that dieting and exercising reduces the number of fat cells in the leg muscles, which can also result in an increased capacity for exercise.
The study’s authors indicate that these findings support a potential treatment approach for this specific type of heart failure that includes exercise and dieting. However, more research is needed.