ABSTRACT
The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12 (KCCQ-12) is a simple, feasible, and sensitive questionnaire developed in English for assessing the health status (symptoms, function, and quality of life) of patients with heart failure (HF). We aimed to assess the internal consistency and construct validity of the Portuguese version of KCCQ-12. We administered the KCCQ-12, the Minnesota Living Heart Failure (MLHFQ), and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification by telephone. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's Alpha (α-Cronbach) and construct validity with correlations to the MLHFQ and NYHA. Internal consistency was high (α-Cronbach = 0.92 for the Overall Summary score and 0.77-0.85 for the subdomains). Construct validity was supported by finding high correlations between the KCCQ-12 Physical Limitation and the Symptom Frequency domains with the physical domain of the MLHFQ (r = -0.70 and r = -0.76, p < 0.001 for both) and the Overall Summary scale with NYHA classifications (r = -0.72, p < 0.001). The Portuguese version of KCCQ-12 has high internal consistency and shows a convergent construct validity with other measures quantifying the health status of patients with chronic HF and can be used confidently in Brazil for research and clinical care.
ABSTRACT
Exercise-based training decreases hospitalizations in heart failure patients but such patients have exercise intolerance. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercise and lower limb muscles' functional electrical stimulation in older chronic heart failure adults. A total of 1,084 older adults with chronic systolic heart failure were included in a non-randomized clinical trial (n=271 per group). The control group did not receive any kind of intervention, one group received functional electrical stimulation of lower limb muscles (FES group), another group practiced Tai Chi exercise (TCE group), and another received functional electrical stimulation of lower limb muscles and practiced Tai Chi exercise (FES & TCE group). Quality of life and cardiorespiratory functions of all patients were evaluated. Compared to the control group, only FES group had increased Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) score (P<0.0001, q=9.06), only the TCE group had decreased heart rate (P<0.0001, q=5.72), and decreased peak oxygen consumption was reported in the TCE group (P<0.0001, q=9.15) and FES & TCE group (P<0.0001, q=10.69). FES of lower limb muscles and Tai Chi exercise can recover the quality of life and cardiorespiratory functions of older chronic heart failure adults (trial registration: Research Registry 4474, January 1, 2015).