Objectives The cardiorespiratory system is one of the systems affected by age. Breathing exercises complement the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). This study determined the effects of routine respiratory and gradual device-guided slow breathing exercises on the quality of life, physical functional performance, and blood pressure of older patients with CHF.
Methods & Materials This study was a single-blind randomized clinical trial conducted in Mashhad City, Iran, in 2022–2023. Thirty-six patients with CHF were randomized into three groups: A control group, a routine breathing exercise group, and a gradual device-guided slow breathing exercise group. The intervention took 4 weeks, and evaluations were completed before and after the intervention using the Minnesota questionnaire (MLWHF), the 6-minute walking test (6MWT), and the blood pressure Holter. Data analysis was done by paired t-test and one-way ANOVA in SPSS software, version 23.
Results The three groups were matched regarding demographic variables. There were no differences in blood hemodynamic parameters after the intervention. However, after the intervention, the average quality of life and physical functional performance scores were statistically significant in the routine breathing exercise and the gradual slow breathing exercise groups. One-way ANOVA demonstrated significant differences in the routine breathing exercise group's average quality of life and physical functional performance scores in the gradual slow breathing exercise group compared to the control group.
Conclusion Older people with heart failure can improve their quality of life and physical performance with breathing exercises. These exercises can be used in the outpatient phase of cardiac rehabilitation besides the inpatient phase.