Effects of sitting-style Baduanjin on older adults with heart failure: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Abstract Importance: Heart failure (HF) is a complex disease, mainly caused by structural or functional changes such as ventricular filling or cardiac ejection, leading to clinical symptoms and signs and seriously affecting patients' quality of life. Guideline-directed medical therapy can significantly alleviate patients' symptoms and reduce mortality and hospitalization rate. Exercise can improve cardiopulmonary function, and all major guidelines unanimously recommend exercise-centered cardiac rehabilitation. However, unscientific exercise increases myocardial oxygen consumption and aggravates symptoms in patients with HF. Therefore, choosing appropriate exercise to improve patients' exercise tolerance and quality of life has become a research hotspot. Sitting Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese exercise method that combines movement with rest, is easy to understand, highly recognized by society, and can be widely promoted. Moreover, some studies have indicated that sitting Baduanjin can ameliorate cardiopulmonary function and improve patients' quality of life. Therefore, studying the influence of sitting Baduanjin on senile HF is significant. Methods and analysis: This single-blind randomized controlled trial is designed to demonstrate that regular sedentary exercise and guided medication can significantly improve the quality of life of patients with HF. In this trial, 136 eligible patients will be randomly assigned to the Baduanjin and control groups in a ratio of 1:1. The Baduanjin group will practice sitting Baduanjin at home (45 min each time, three times a week) along with routine treatment, while the control group will only receive basic routine treatment. The primary outcome is the Minnesota HF questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD). Researchers blinded to treatment allocation will analyze the data. Conclusion This study will provide strong evidence to establish regular sitting-style Baduanjin exercise effectiveness in significantly improving the quality of life of patients with HF. Clinical registration: We have registered with the China Clinical Trials Registration Center on November 18, 2022, the registration number is ChiCTR2200065921.