* There are about 900,000 people with heart failure in the UK, with a steep increase in age from 1% in those under 65 to 15% of those over 8523.
* The total cost of treating heart failure in the NHS is £628.6 million, with the 86,000 hospital admissions accounting for over 60% of these costs24.
* There are over 7.6 million GP consultations every year for heart failure, costing £103 million25.
Most of the symptoms of heart failure are due to poor perfusion in the peripheral muscles secondary to limited cardiac output. Exercise limitation is usually from leg weakness due to lactate accumulation, leading to shortness of breath because of resulting acidosis. Regular walking therefore improves the peripheral muscle metabolism more than it affects the cardiac output. Regular walking as part of a rehabilitation programme significantly enhances quality of life, helps to retain independence and reduces hospital admissions.
* The total cost of treating heart failure in the NHS is £628.6 million, with the 86,000 hospital admissions accounting for over 60% of these costs24.
* There are over 7.6 million GP consultations every year for heart failure, costing £103 million25.
Most of the symptoms of heart failure are due to poor perfusion in the peripheral muscles secondary to limited cardiac output. Exercise limitation is usually from leg weakness due to lactate accumulation, leading to shortness of breath because of resulting acidosis. Regular walking therefore improves the peripheral muscle metabolism more than it affects the cardiac output. Regular walking as part of a rehabilitation programme significantly enhances quality of life, helps to retain independence and reduces hospital admissions.