People with heart failure often experience extreme tiredness (fatigue). It can be distressing and affect people’s everyday life in a negative way. Researchers are looking at ways of supporting people with heart failure to do the amount and type of physical activity that is right for them. Findings will inform primary and community care professionals about what services and advice should be available.
The Heart failure And Participation in Physical activitY (the HAPPY study) was supported by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit and Elizabeth Blackwell Institute through the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund.
There were four parts to the HAPPY study.
- A systematic review of qualitative studies describing the experiences, beliefs, and behaviours of people with heart failure in relation to physical activity. using the PROSPERO protocol 2022;
- An embedded Study Within A Review (SWAR) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) thinking in systematic reviews: A study within reviews (SWAR) on EDI tools for the awareness and consideration of EDI in systematic reviews
- A review of physical activity advice from heart failure charities
- A consultation with stakeholders to identify current services and future priorities, using a person-based approach to develop guiding principles and a logic model to explain the main problems people with heart failure have with physical activity.
The study looked at the published evidence (proof) on self-management approaches for fatigue for people with heart failure, and found 21 studies which included 515 people. The quality of the studies was acceptable but individual studies mostly involved a small number of people. But, the research team could not combine the results of the studies together statistically as none of the studies were that similar.
Conclusion
Evidence for health education, a person-centered approach, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and some health supplements for heart failure seem to improve fatigue, but more research is needed to be sure. More well-designed trials are needed which take into account what fatigue means to different people.
Full study paper currently under review ( July 2024): Self-management strategies in people with heart failure-related fatigue: a systematic review.
This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research School of Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) as part of the Evidence Synthesis Working Group (ESWG) [Project Number 461]. Lorna J Duncan Beth Stuart, Clare J Taylor, Rachel Johnson (Co-PI) , Alyson L Huntley Co-(PI)
Contact
For further information, contact alyson.huntley@bristol.ac.uk