Vasodilation and Reduction of Systolic Blood Pressure after One Session of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients With Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Question
Does one HIIT session acutely improve endothelial function and blood pressure in patients with HFpEF?
Summary
Sixteen clinically stable patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction completed one supervised treadmill HIIT session. The session was tolerated without adverse events and was followed by larger brachial artery diameter and lower systolic blood pressure 30 minutes later, but the study had no control group.
Methodology
- Clinically stable patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
- 16 participants.
- Treadmill.
- Work intervals: 4 min at 85-95% HRmax/Borg 15-17.
- Recovery: 3 min active recovery at 60-70% HRmax/Borg 11-13.
- Intensity: HRmax and Borg targets from CPET.
- 36 min.
- Single session.
- Acute.
- Single-arm quasi-experimental before-after study
- Brachial diameter, Blood pressure, FMD, and Safety were tracked.
Outcomes
Brachial diameter
Brachial artery diameter increased after HIIT.
3.96 +/- 0.57 to 4.33 +/- 0.69 mm, p<0.01.
Systolic BP
Systolic BP decreased after HIIT.
About 12.7 +/- 3.8 mmHg reduction at 30 min.
FMD
Relative flow-mediated dilation did not significantly change.
5.91 +/- 5.20% to 3.55 +/- 6.59%, p=0.162.
Adverse events
All analyzed patients completed the session without adverse events.
16/16 completed.
Insights
- Clinical 4 x 4-min HIIT can be feasible in carefully selected HFpEF patients under supervision.
- This evidence should inform cautionary clinical context, not consumer-app prescriptions.
Limitations
- Small sample.
- No control group.
- Single-center clinical population.
- Only acute 30-min follow-up.
- No moderate-intensity comparator.
Safety
- No adverse events occurred during the supervised HIIT session.
- Participants were clinically screened HFpEF patients monitored with ECG, HR, BP, and Borg RPE.