- Page navigation anchor for Improving outcomes for patients with heart failure through rehabilitationImproving outcomes for patients with heart failure through rehabilitation
Deaton and Benson are to be commended for their editorial on heart failure which should help to raise awareness in primary care about patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) who make up half the patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure(HF).1 The authors acknowledge that the pharmacological treatments in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) have not been shown to improve survival in patients with HFpEF but lifestyle interventions can improve fitness and health-related quality of life. The latter also applies to patients with HFrEF.2
Primary care should not only identify and correctly categorise patients with HF but should also consider referring such patients for comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation which encompass lifestyle interventions.The 2016 updated quality standard from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on chronic heart failure recommends that GP practices, community nursing teams and hospitals should offer programmes of cardiac rehabilitation and clinical commissioning groups should procure cardiac rehabilitation services.3
Unfortunately the uptake of rehabilitation in patients with HF remains poor.4To improve uptake and adherence NICE recommends offering patients alternatives to centre based rehabilitation classes so patients can choose to follow a programme a...
Competing Interests: None declared.