Ex-VAD-DZHK11

Exercise Training in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device (Ex-VAD-DZHK11)

The number of patients with an artificial heart has significantly risen in the last years because patients receive artificial heart implantations, a so-called left ventricular assist device, in order to bridge the waiting period until heart transplantation.

This study is examining whether a tailored physical exercise can improve the fitness and quality of life of patients with an artificial heart. Their surgery should date back at least three months. All patients participate in a moderate training program for twelve weeks: They train three times per week on a bicycle ergometer and after four weeks tailored strength training is added to their exercise plan. Alongside physical fitness, biomarkers in the blood and examinations of the heart function and structure the trial will also reveal how the study participant’s quality of life changes in the process. Furthermore, once the exercise phase is completed, the study participants will be regularly examined for further twelve weeks in order to measure long-term effects.

The hope is that the natural heart’s performance will also improve with this regular physical exercise, since the long-term goal is to strengthen the individual’s own heart in such a way that the artificial heart can be removed after a certain period of time. In addition to Berlin, the DZHK sites Hamburg and Munich are also participating in the pilot study. If the positive expectations of the scientists are confirmed, large-scale multi-centre studies must substantiate the effects of physical exercise before it can find its way into the treatment guidelines of these patient groups.

Operative contact
Anna Feuerstein, MD
anna.feuerstein@dhzc-charite.de