Breathing muscle training and leg electrical stimulation for worsening heart failure
Tests breathing muscle training and leg stimulation in people hospitalized with decompensated heart failure.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Cardiac Rehabilitation in Decompensated Heart Failure
Key facts
- Where
- Banī Suwayf, EgyptSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 45 and 65 years old?
Source: NCT07506499, who can take part
Where in Egypt
- Beni-Suef University HospitalBanī Suwayf, EgyptTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Beni-Suef University
- Trial code
- NCT07506499
- Record updated
- 6 August 2026
- Original description
Heart failure is a common clinical condition that often leads to reduced exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, and poor quality of life. Many patients with heart failure also develop weakness of the inspiratory muscles, which contributes to limited physical activity and worsening functional capacity. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been suggested as a useful rehabilitation method to improve respiratory muscle strength and exercise tolerance. In addition, functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the lower limb muscles may help activate skeletal muscles and improve functional performance in patients who cannot tolerate conventional exercise.Read full original descriptionShow less
Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure
Heart failure is a common clinical condition that often leads to reduced exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, and poor quality of life. Many patients with heart failure also develop weakness of the inspiratory muscles, which contributes to limited physical activity and worsening functional capacity. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been suggested as a useful rehabilitation method to improve respiratory muscle strength and exercise tolerance. In addition, functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the lower limb muscles may help activate skeletal muscles and improve functional performance in patients who cannot tolerate conventional exercise.
This randomized controlled study aims to investigate the effect of combining inspiratory muscle training with functional electrical stimulation of the lower limbs in patients with decompensated heart failure. A total of 135 hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure will be recruited from the Cardiology Department at Beni-Suef University Hospital and randomly assigned into three groups. Group A (45 patients) will receive routine medical treatment in addition to inspiratory muscle training combined with functional electrical stimulation. Group B (45 patients) will receive routine medical treatment with inspiratory muscle training only. Group C (45 patients) will receive routine medical treatment alone.
The intervention will start during hospitalization and will continue for four weeks. The study will evaluate the effects of these interventions on cardiac function, inspiratory muscle strength, and functional capacity as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes will include dyspnea severity, quality of life, heart rate, oxygen saturation, hand grip strength, and maximum expiratory pressure. The findings of this study may help clarify the potential role of combining inspiratory muscle training with functional electrical stimulation as part of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with decompensated heart failure.
Inclusion: Aged from 45 to 65 years old; Both sexes; Hospitalized heart failure patients with ejection fraction < 40%; Conscious and cooperative; Able to participate in training actively.
Exclusion: Acute major cardiovascular events (e.g., acute coronary syndrome, stroke, or pulmonary embolism); Uncontrolled life-threatening arrhythmias; Severe valvular heart disease requiring urgent surgery; End-stage renal disease requiring dialysis; Significant pulmonary diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension,; Clinically significant peripheral vascular disease; Exercise-induced angina or ST-segment changes; Pregnancy; Implanted pacemaker; Severe anemia.