This project investigates whether heat therapy can improve functional capacity and cardiovascular health in patients with heart faliure. Poor functional capacity and cardiovascular health are key symptoms of heart failure, varying directly with the severity of disease. We also known that reduced exercise capacity is associated with reduced survival and poor quality of life. While exercise is a key component of heart failure management, its effectiveness may be hindered by the advanced age and/ or frailty of many patients. Recent studies show that many of the benefits of exericse are mediated by increases in core temperature. Based on this, we propose that heat therapy will provide an innovative and inexpensive intervention to promote health beneifts in patients with heart failure.
Building on our recent studies that show many of the benefits of exercise are mediated by increases in core temperature, we propose that repeated, episodic increases in core temperature via heat therapy will provide an innovative, non-invasive and inexpensive intervention that can promote cardiovascular and health benefits in patients with HF, independent of exercise.
Last updated12 March 2024