Takeaway
- This meta-analysis does not provide evidence for a positive effect of exercise training on inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6, C-reactive protein [CRP], fibrinogen, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule [sICAM] and soluble vascular adhesion molecule [sVCAM]) in patients with heart failure.
Why this matters
- Previous studies evaluating the effect of aerobic and resistance training on inflammatory markers in patients with heart failure have shown inconsistent results.
Study design
- 20 studies, representing 18 independent trials, met eligibility criteria after a search on PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library of Controlled Trials up until 30 June 2017.
- Funding: None disclosed.
Key results
- Pooled data from 6 studies with 244 participants (145 exercising; 99 control participants) showed a small but statistically significant improvement in TNF-α (standardised mean difference [SMD], 0.42; P=.002).
- A borderline statistically significant improvement in CRP with exercise was demonstrated by pooled data (3 studies, n=97; SMD, 1.61; P=.05).
- Pooled data failed to show any significant improvement in fibrinogen (SMD, 0.40; P=.39), sICAM (SMD, 0.33; P=.16) and sVCAM (SMD, 0.33; P=.10).
- Four studies with 175 participants (110 exercising, 65 controls) demonstrated a small and statistically significant improvement in IL-6 concentrations with exercise (SMD 0.41; P=.01)
Limitations
- The number of studies was small.
- Medication usage considered to have an anti-inflammatory effect may have contributed to differing results and heterogeneity between studies.
References
References