The relationship between physical activity and appetite in patients with heart failure: A prospective observational study.
Christina Andreae, Kristofer Årestedt, Lorraine Evangelista and 1 others
PMID 30866679WHAT IT FOUND
Outpatients with heart failure who took more steps and walked farther on the six-minute test reported better appetite.
At follow-up, appetite and activity stayed similar.
Key findings
0171 patients (38%) had poor appetite, and daily steps averaged 4623.
02After adjustment, number of steps and the six-minute walk test remained associated with appetite at baseline, and number of steps and METs daily average predicted appetite at 18-month follow-up.
03Over time, appetite, physical activity, and functional capacity did not change significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study observed associations, so it cannot show that more activity caused better appetite or that poor appetite caused less activity; the authors state the causal relationship was not investigated. Follow-up was incomplete: 116 of 186 participants completed the 18-month assessment, and dropouts had higher New York Heart Association class at baseline, so more severe heart failure may be underrepresented over time. The regression models explained only 2 to 7% of appetite variance at baseline and 4 to 14% at follow-up, so many other factors influence appetite. Actigraph data were analysed from the first four days because many participants stopped wearing the device before seven days. The findings are limited to outpatients with moderate-severe HF.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increasing steps or exercise will improve appetite. This was an observational study, not a treatment trial, and it found no significant change in appetite or activity over time.