OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effect of short-term exercise intervention on the cardiovascular functions and quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: This meta-analysis was analyzed using RevMan5.3 and Stata 13.0. The parameters of cardiovascular functions and QoL were assessed. Weighted mean differences and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for continuous variables. RESULTS: Data from 2533 CHF patients enrolled in 28 published studies of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collated. There were significant differences in V02max prior to and after exercise intervention in CHF patients who are 50 to 55 years old (5 RCTs; 95% CI -4.86 to -2.29; I2 = 50.5%), 60 to 65 years old (10 RCTs; 95% CI -2.66 to -2.04; I2 = 0%), and 69 to 75 years old (5 RCTs; 95% CI -1.88 to -0.34; I2 = 38.5%). VO2max was significantly increased by aerobic exercise (9 RCTs; 95% CI -3.45 to -1.92; I2 = 37.7%) and combined aerobic resistance exercise (4 RCTs; 95% CI -4.41 to -0.26; I2 = 76.6%). There were significant differences in cardiac output (n = 303; 95% CI -0.25 to -0.02; I2 = 12%) and QoL (n = 299; 95% CL 3.19 to 9.70; I2 = 17%) prior to and after short-term exercise. CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise and aerobic with resistance exercise can significantly improve the aerobic capacity of CHF patients, whereas resistance exercise cannot. The improvement in aerobic capacity caused by aerobic exercise and aerobic with resistance exercise decreases with age. Systolic blood pressure and ventricle structures and functions of CHF patients show no significant changes after the short-term exercise intervention.

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