Overview of studies included in the review
| Study | Design | Participant characteristics | Intervention |
| Ahmad et al 53 | RCT | n=928 analysed, biomarker substudy HF ACTION Trial E: n=477 (68% male), 59 (51–68) years, LVEF 25% (20–30)* C: n=451 (73% male), 59 (51–68) years, LVEF 25% (20–31) NYHA Class II–IV (<1% IV) | 3 months Aerobic |
| Aksoy et al 43 | RCT | n=57 randomised, n=45 analysed E1: n=15 (87% male), 64±9 years, LVEF 50%±7% E2: n=15 (87% male), 60±7 years, LVEF 52%±5% C: n=15 (87% male), 58±11 years, LVEF 52%±6% NYHA Class II–III | 10 weeks Aerobic (E1: IAE, E2: CAE) |
| Antonicelli et al 44 | RCT | n=343 randomised, n=313 completed 6 months E: n=170 (61% male), 76±5 years, LVEF 48%±13% C: n=173 (53% male), 78±6 years, LVEF 49%±13% NYHA Class ≥2 | 6 months Aerobic |
| Van Berendoncks et al 34 | Non-RCT Cohort with control group | n=80 analysed E: n=46 (70% male), 58±10 years, LVEF 17% (14–22)* C: n=34 (59% male), 61±12 years, LVEF 19% (15–24) NYHA Class II–III | 4 months Aerobic and combined |
| Billebeau et al 22 | Non-RCT Cohort with control group | n=131 enrolled E: n=107 (86% male), 59 (52–66) years, LVEF 30% (25–39)* C: n=24 (79% male), 63 (53–72) years, LVEF 35% (30–40) NYHA Class II–IV | 4–6 months Aerobic |
| Brubaker et al 65 | RCT | n=59 randomised, n=44 analysed E: n=30 (63% male), 70±5 years, LVEF 32%±9% C: n=29 (69% male), 70±6 years, LVEF 30%±9% NYHA Class II–IV (n=1 Class IV) | 16 weeks Aerobic |
| Butterfield et al 58 | RCT | n=19 randomised, n=17 analysed E: n=11 (82% male), 66±10 years, LVEF 34%±11% C: n=6 (50% male), 75±12 years, LVEF 35%±14% NYHA Class II–III | 12 weeks Combined |
| Conraads et al 48 | RCT | n=17 randomised and analysed E: n=8 (38% male), 57±2 years, LVEF 27%±5% C: n=9 (56% male), 61±4 years, LVEF 28%±5% NYHA Class III | 4 months Aerobic |
| Conraads et al
35 (2004) | Non-RCT Cohort with control group | n=49 enrolled and analysed E: n=27 (78% male), 59±2 years, LVEF 26%±1% C: n=22 (68% male), 59±2 years, LVEF 26%±1% NYHA Class II–III | 4 months Combined |
| Delagardelle et al 37 | RCT/non-RCT† | n=60 randomised and analysed E: n=45 (84% male), 59±6 years, LVEF 24%±5% C: n=15 (87% male), 56±8 years, LVEF 25%±6% NYHA Class II | ~13.3 weeks Combined, aerobic or strength |
| Edelmann et al
30 Ex-DHF pilot study | RCT | n=67 randomised, n=64 analysed E: n=44 (45% male), 64±8 years, LVEF 68%±7% C: n=20 (40% male), 65±6 years, LVEF 67%±7% NYHA Class II and III | 12 weeks Combined |
| Eleuteri et al 54 | RCT | n=21 randomised and analysed E: n=11 (100% male), 66±2 years, LVEF 28%±2% C: n=10 (100% male), 63±2 years, LVEF 30%±2% NYHA Class II | 3 months Aerobic |
| Fernandes-Silva et al 23 | RCT | n=52 randomised, n=40 analysed E: n=28 (50% male), 51±7 years, LVEF 30%±6% C: n=16 (62% male), 48±7 years, LVEF 29%±7% NYHA Class I–III | 12 weeks Aerobic |
| Fu (2013)57 | RCT | n=45 randomised, n=40 analysed E1: n=15 (67% male), 68%±5%, LVEF 38%±4% E2: n=15 (60% male), 66±2 years, LVEF 39%±5% C: n=15 (67% male), 68±3 years, LVEF 38%±4% NYHA Class II–III | 12 weeks Aerobic (E1: AIT, E2: MCT) |
| Gary et al 59 | RCT | n=24 randomised and analysed E: n=12 (58% male), 59±11 years, LVEF 23%±8% C: n=12 (42% male), 61±10 years, LVEF 27%±9% NYHA Class II–III | 12 weeks Combined |
| Guazzi et al 49 | RCT | n=26 randomised and analysed E: n=18, C: n=8, 68±6 years, LVEF 37%±5% NYHA Class II–III | 24 weeks Aerobic |
| Jónsdóttir et al 46 | RCT | n=51 randomised, n=43 analysed E: n=21 (76% male), 68±7 years, LVEF 42%±14% C: n=22 (82% male), 69±5 years, LVEF 41%±14% NYHA Class II–III | 5 months Combined |
| Karavidas et al 66 | RCT | n=30 randomised and analysed E: n=20 (80% male), 62±12 years, LVEF 28%±7% C: n=10 (80% male), 64±8 years, LVEF 27%±5% NYHA Class II–III | 6 weeks FES |
| Karavidas et al 41 | RCT | n=30 randomised and analysed E: n=15 (60% male), 69±9 years, LVEF 64%±8% C: n=15 (60% male), 69±8 years, LVEF 63%±5% NYHA Class II–III | 6 weeks FES |
| Kato et al 67 | RCT | n=50 randomised and analysed E: n=25 (80% male), 70±11 years, LVEF 28%±9% C: n=25 (76% male), 70±8 years, LVEF 29%±9% NYHA Class II–IV | 4 weeks Stretching |
| Kawauchi et al 68 | RCT | n=53 randomised, n=35 analysed E1: n=13 (46% male), 54±10 years, LVEF 30%±6% E2: n=13 (62% male), 56±7 years, LVEF 28%±5% C: n=9 (56% male), 56±7 years, LVEF 29%±7% NYHA Class II–III | 8 weeks IMT+resistance |
| Kitzman et al 40 | RCT | n=53 randomised, n=46 completed E: n=26 (17% male), 70±6 years, LVEF 61%±5% C: n=27 (9% male), 69±5 years, LVEF 60%±10% NYHA Class II–III | 16 weeks Aerobic |
| Kitzman et al 39 | RCT | n=51 randomised‡ E: n=26 (19% male), 68±6 years, LVEF 61%±6% C: n=25 (20% male), 66%±5%, LVEF 63%±6% NYHA Class II–III | 20 weeks Aerobic |
| Kobayashi et al 61 | RCT | n=28 randomised and analysed E: n=14 (86% male), 55±2 years, LVEF 29%±2% C: n=14 (57% male), 62±2 years, LVEF 33%±2% NYHA Class II and III | 12 weeks Aerobic |
| Krishna et al 45 | RCT | n=130 randomised, n=92 analysed E: n=44 (73% male), 49±6 years, LVEF 39%±5% C: n=48 (67% male), 50±5 years, LVEF 40%±5% NYHA Class I–II | 12 weeks Yoga |
| Malfatto et al 60 | RCT | n=54 randomised and analysed E: n=27 (70% male), 65±11 years, LVEF 31%±6%, C: n=27 (74% male), 67±9 years, LVEF 33%±6%, NYHA Class I and II | 12 weeks Aerobic |
| Marco et al 56 | RCT | n=22 randomised and analysed E: n=11 (64% male), 69±9 years, LVEF 38%±16% C: n=11 (91% male), 70±11 years, LVEF 36%±17% NYHA Class II–III | 4 weeks IMT |
| Meyer et al 50 | RCT | n=42 randomised and analysed E: n=19 (79% male), 58±10 years, LVEF 29%±13% C: n=23 (78% male), 54±9 years, LVEF 30%±11% NYHA Class II–III | 12 weeks Aerobic |
| Nilsson et al 55 | RCT | n=78 randomised, n=70 for BNP at follow-up E: n=39 (77% male), 69±8 years, LVEF 30%±8% C: n=39 (79% male), 72±8 years, LVEF 31%±10% NYHA Class II–III | 4 months Aerobic |
| Nishi et al 38 | Retrospective analysis | n=45 randomised, n=31 analysed BNP E: n=33 (88% male), 51±14 years, LVEF 18%±4%, C: n=12 (83% male), 52±16 years, LVEF 18%±5% NYHA Class II–III | 3 months Aerobic |
| Norman et al 62 | RCT | n=42 randomised, n=39 analysed for BNP E: n=20 (55% male), 56±3 years, LVEF 34%±1% C: n=20 (60% male), 63±3 years, LVEF 32%±1% NYHA Class II–IV | 24 weeks Combined |
| Palau et al 42 | RCT | n=27 randomised, n=26 analysed E: n=14 (50% male), 68 (60–76) years, LVEF 69% (63–77)* C: n=12 (50% male), 74 (73–77) years, LVEF 76% (68–83) NYHA Class II–IV | 12 weeks IMT |
| Parrinello et al 63 | RCT | n=22 randomised and analysed E: n=11 (73% male), 62±5 years, LVEF 39%±4% C: n=11 (64% male), 63±5 years, LVEF 39%±4% NYHA Class II–III | 10 weeks Aerobic |
| Passino et al 32 | RCT | n=95 randomised, n=85 analysed E: n=44 (89% male), 60±2 years, LVEF 35%±2% C: n=41 (85% male), 61±2 years, LVEF 32%±2% NYHA Class I–III | 9 months Aerobic |
| Passino et al 33 | RCT | n=97 randomised, n=90 analysed E: n=71 (87% male), 61±2 years, LVEF 35%±1% C: n=19 (74% male), 63±2 years, LVEF 36%±2% NYHA Class I–III | 9 months Aerobic |
| Sandri et al
51 LEICA Study | RCT | n=60 randomised and analysed E1: n=15 (80% male), 50±5 years, LVEF 27%±1% C1: n=15 (87% male), 49±5 years, LVEF 28%±1% E2: n=15 (80% male), 72±4 years, LVEF 29%±2% C2: n=15 (80% male), 72±3 years, LVEF 28%±2% NYHA Class II–III | 4 weeks Aerobic |
| Maria Sarullo et al 52 | RCT | n=60 randomised and analysed E: n=30 (77% male), 53±6 years, LVEF 29%±5% C: n=30 (74% male), 53±5 years, LVEF 29%±4% NYHA Class II–III | 12 weeks Aerobic |
| Stevens et al 64 | RCT | n=28 randomised, n=22 analysed E: n=15 (67% male), 67±3 years, LVEF 39%±3% C: n=7 (86% male), 64±6 years, LVEF 35%±2% NYHA Class I–III | 12 weeks Combined |
| Trippel et al
31 Ex-DHF pilot study post hoc analysis | RCT | n=67 randomised, n=62 analysed for biomarkers E: n=44 (45% male), 64±8 years, LVEF 68%±7% C: n=20 (40% male), 65±6 years, LVEF 67%±7% NYHA Class II–III | 12 weeks Combined |
| Wisløff et al 47 | RCT | n=27 randomised, n=26 analysed E1: n=9 (78% male), 77±9 years, LVEF 28%±7% E2: n=9 (78% male), 74±12 years, LVEF 33%±5% C: n=9 (67% male), 76±13 years, LVEF 26%±8% | 12 weeks Aerobic (E1: AIT, E2: MCT) |
| Yamamoto et al 36 | Non-RCT Cohort with control group | n=18 enrolled and analysed E: n=10 (90% male), 68 (64–70) years, LVEF 40% (37–43)* C: n=8 (100% male), 70 (66–73) years, LVEF 37% (35–38) NYHA Class II–III | 6 months Aerobic |
| Yeh et al 69 | RCT | n=30 randomised and analysed E: n=15 (67% male), 66±12 years, LVEF 24%±7% C: n=15 (60% male), 61±14 years, LVEF 22%±8% NYHA Class I–IV | 12 weeks Tai Chi |
| Yeh et al 70 | RCT | n=100 randomised and analysed E: n=50 (56% male), 68±12 years, LVEF 28%±8% C: n=50 (72% male), 67±12 years, LVEF 30%±7% NYHA Class I–III | 12 weeks Tai Chi |
*Median (IQR).
†Randomised between three exercise groups, but control group not randomised.
‡Excludes diet and diet and exercise groups.
AIT, aerobic interval training; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; C, control; CAE, continuous aerobic training; DHF, diastolic heart failure; E, exercise; FES, functional electrical stimulation; IAE, aerobic interval training; IMT, inspiratory muscle training; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; MCT, moderate continuous training; NYHA, New York Heart Association; RCT, randomised controlled trial.