Neuromuscular electrical stimulation improves exercise tolerance in patients with advanced heart failure on continuous intravenous inotropic support use—randomized controlled trial

Abstract

A short-term inpatient neuromuscular electrical stimulation rehabilitation protocol improved exercise tolerance and reduced intravenous inotropic support necessity in patients with advanced heart failure suffering a decompensation episode.

The Combined Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Insulin Therapy on Glycated Hemoglobin Concentrations, Lipid Profiles and Hemodynamic Parameters in Patients with Type-2-Diabetes and Hemiplegia Related to Ischemic Stroke: A Pilot Study

“…Because the purpose of our study was to determine the ability of the NMES to influence the concentration of HbA 1C , lipid profiles, and hemodynamic parameters in T2DM patients, we used 35-Hz NMES eliciting incomplete, tetanic contractions of the muscles. NMES frequencies between 10 and 50 Hz (eliciting tetanic contractions) proved effective in our earlier study [26] and in the randomized clinical trials with patients with chronic cardiac deficiency conducted by other authors [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. The authors of the studies who applied NMES for 3-12 weeks reported that it improved participants' exercise capacity [26,[28][29][30][31][32]34,36,37], metabolic and hemodynamic parameters, including peak VO 2 [28][29][30][31]34,37], as well as reducing their diastolic blood pressure [29], and increasing LVEF (%) [26].…”

Effects of Acute Phase Intensive Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Frail Elderly Patients With Acute Heart Failure (ACTIVE‐EMS): Rationale and protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

“…12 EMS is a novel intervention that shows beneficial effects on both physical function and exercise capacity. [14][15][16][17][18] Therefore, we postulated that EMS therapy would be effective in frail elderly AHF patients. In contrast, EMS therapy has some potential to adversely affect the patients.…”

“…It is necessary for AHF patients to achieve and maintain optimal physical function, and exercise therapy is required to maintain physical function in HF patients, especially in frail elderly subjects . EMS is a novel intervention that shows beneficial effects on both physical function and exercise capacity . Therefore, we postulated that EMS therapy would be effective in frail elderly AHF patients.…”

“…Previous reports have indicated that lower‐limb EMS therapy can improve muscle strength, exercise capacity, and health‐related QOL and reduce HF‐related hospitalization in chronic HF patients, including elderly patients . More recently, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have indicated that a short‐term lower‐limb EMS improved muscle strength, exercise capacity, and health‐related QOL in hospitalized HF patients, including few elderly patients . Thus, EMS therapy may be useful in frail elderly AHF patients.…”

Is Exercise Training Appropriate for Patients With Advanced Heart Failure Receiving Continuous Inotropic Infusion? A Review

“…Indeed, several reports demonstrated the efficacy of EMS in patients with advanced HF. 62 , 63 For instance, Forestieri et al 64 demonstrated the improvement of exercise capacity in patients by EMS, and EMS demonstrated a significantly higher dose reduction in dobutamine infusion. By contrast, the addition of inspiratory muscle training was reported to improve quality of life in patients with HF.…”