Abstract
Background:
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has growing prevalence, especially in postmenopausal females. Heart failure reversal therapy (HFRT) is a combination of Panchakarma and allied therapies used by Ayurveda physicians for chronic heart failure patients. This observational study was done to evaluate HFRT in HFrEF-affected postmenopausal females.
Materials and Methods:
The study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2017 at a Madhavbaug Hospital in Khopoli, India. The data of HFrEF patients who were administered HFRT twice over 7 days in hospital were considered. VO2 max, distance covered on 6-min walk test (6MWT), weight, body mass index (BMI), abdominal girth, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) were compared to day 1 and 90 of HFRT.
Results:
Twenty females were enrolled with a mean age of 64.2 ± 4.38 years. There was a significant improvement in mean VO2 max (12.30 ± 2.12 vs. 13.45 ± 2.10, P < 0.05) and mean distance covered after 6MWT (319.5 ± 92.1 vs. 369.5 ± 91.39 m, P < 0.05) of patients on day 90, when compared to day 1 of HFRT. Mean weight (55.20 ± 7.23 vs. 51.48 ± 6.70 kg, P < 0.05), mean BMI (22.51 ± 3.10 vs. 21.45 ± 2.47 kg/m2, P < 0.05), and mean abdominal girth (86.05 ± 8.57 vs. 81 ± 8.65 cm, P < 0.05) were decreased at 90 days after HFRT therapy initiation. BP and HR were reduced but not significantly (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:
HFRT effectively increases the VO2 max, distance walked on 6MWT and decreases metabolic parameters in postmenopausal HFrEF patients.
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