Comparison of diaphragmatic breathing exercises and incentive spirometry on the functional status of heart failure patients: a randomized controlled trial

Comparison of Breathing Exercises and Incentive Spirometry for Heart Failure Patients

Background

Heart failure (HF) can weaken respiratory muscles, leading to symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath. Strengthening these muscles through pulmonary rehabilitation may improve these issues. This study looked at how breathing exercises affect fatigue, breathlessness, and overall function in HF patients.

Methods

We conducted a controlled trial with 90 hospitalized HF patients, split into three groups: diaphragmatic breathing group (DG), incentive spirometry group (SG), and a control group (CG). Both DG and SG performed breathing exercises three times a day for 10 days. We measured fatigue, breathlessness, and functional status before and after the intervention using specific scales.

Results

After the interventions:

Severe fatigue dropped by 30% in both DG and SG.
Average breathlessness decreased by:

0.7 units at rest in DG
0.9 units at rest in SG
2.93 units during activity in DG
2.73 units during activity in SG

Patients in functional classes III and IV dropped by 30% in DG and 33.3% in SG.

In contrast, the control group showed no significant improvement after the trial.

Conclusion

This study found that breathing exercises significantly reduced fatigue and breathlessness while improving functional classification in HF patients. These exercises can be included in nursing care plans for respiratory rehabilitation in heart failure.

Trial Registration

This study is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (ID: IRCT20240306061197N).

Value of Clinical Trials

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