Effect of aerobic interval training on erythrocyte rheological and hemodynamic functions in heart failure patients with anemia

Abstract

This study investigated whether aerobic interval training (AIT) influenced aerobic capacity by modulating hemorheological/hemodynamic functions in heart failure (HF) patients with/without anemia. Sixty HF patients were divided into non‐anemic (HF‐NA, n=30) and anemic (HF‐A, n=30) groups, and 30 normal counterparts were enrolled as a control group. These HF patients performed AIT (3‐minute intervals at 40% and 80%VO2peak) for 30 minutes/day, 3 days/week for 12 weeks. In both HF‐NA and HF‐A groups, the AIT regimen 1) reduced blood senescent/spherical erythrocyte counts, 2) diminished the values of critical shear stresses for disaggregation and half‐maximal deformation of erythrocytes, 3) enhanced cardiac output during exercise, and 4) decreased plasma myeloperoxidase and interleukin‐6 levels. However, AIT increased the amounts of blood distributed to frontal cerebral lobe and vastus lateralis muscle during exercise in HF‐NA group but not in HF‐A group. Additionally, HF‐A group exhibited fewer the enhancements of VO2peak by AIT than HF‐NA group did. Hence, we conclude that AIT improves aerobic capacity by depressing aggregability and enhancing deformability of erythrocytes in patients with HF. However, anemic comorbidity attenuates the adaptations of cerebral/muscular hemodynamic responses to exercise following this regimen.