Impact of physical performance on exercise capacity in older patients with heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction.

Background: Low physical performance may contribute to reduced exercise capacity in older patients with heart failure (HF). We sought to identify the determinants of exercise capacity out of a plethora of background factors, including measures of physical performance.

Methods: We performed a post-hoc analysis of a cohort study that included 1205 consecutive older (age ≥ 65 years) hospitalized patients (the median age, 80 years; 57.4% males).

Results: Low physical performance, defined as ≤1.0 m/s for gait speed, ≥12 s for the 5-time chair stand test, or ≤ 9 points for the Short Physical Performance Battery in both sexes, was seen in 83.9% of the cohort. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that each parameter of physical performance (i.e., gait speed, chair stand test, and balance test) was identified as an independent determinant of lower exercise capacity assessed using the 6-min walking distance. In a logistic regression model, low physical performance predicted short (<300 m) 6-min walking distance (adjusted odds ratio 10.28, 95% CI 6.01-17.60, p < 0.001). No interaction was detected between patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction.

Conclusions: Low physical performance was prevalent and independently associated with exercise capacity in older patients with HF, irrespective of preserved or reduced ejection fraction.