The following is the summary of “Safety and Efficacy of a Bodyweight Exercise Training Program in Symptomatic Patients With Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis,” published in the January 2023 issue of Cardiovascular Disease by Sasaki, et al.

Aerobic and resistance exercise, as is typically prescribed, is beneficial for those with cardiovascular disease but is typically discouraged for those with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis (AS). This research aimed to examine the feasibility and efficacy of bodyweight resistance exercise training (BRET), a form of low-intensity exercise training, in patients with severe AS who were experiencing symptoms. Patients with AS worked with physical therapists to complete a BRET program consisting of 8 exercises three times per week. 

The median aortic valve area and mean transaortic valve pressure gradient for the 78 symptomatic patients with severe AS were 0.56 cm² and 48.9 mm Hg, respectively, and no adverse effects in blood pressure or heart rate were seen after 11 sessions of the BRET program. No unexpected complications arose during the hospital stay. Meanwhile, Barthel’s Index score skyrocketed when he was released from the hospital.

In conclusion, the BRET program used in this study did not appear to cause harmful changes in hemodynamics during the program or adverse events during hospitalization. It improves activities of daily living in symptomatic patients with severe AS, so physicians and physical therapists can administer it safely, with less emotional stress, for cardiac rehabilitation of such patients.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000291492201044X