Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesMeta-analysis
Effects of combined high-intensity inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise in heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials
- 4 of 7 studies had considerable risk of bias
Interventions lasted 6 to 16 weeks in hospital or home settings
Authors' conclusion
Combined H-IMT and AE training may improve MIP and QoL in patients with HF. However, these findings are preliminary and based on very low-quality evidence.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with heart failure (HF)7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Combined H-IMT and aerobic exercise (AE) training vs AE training
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and quality of life (QoL)
H-IMT + AE vs AEMD, cm H2O (95% CI)P value
MIP
15.24(7.30–23.17)
P = 0.0002H-IMT + AE vs AEMD, units (95% CI)P value
QoL
−6.96(−11.33 to −2.59)
P = 0.002Further pooled results
Pulmonary indices, LVEF, aerobic and functional capacity
- No extra benefit
Original publication
Effects of combined high-intensity inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise in heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 8 July 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag328
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it