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The physical rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular pathology is poorly studied and developed in our country, especially in patients with heart failure. There are studies in the literature that confirm that a decrease in the grasping force of the hand is associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. The physical deconditioning of patients with heart failure can be assessed with the help of the Amadeo robot, which is a device capable of measuring the flexion and extension force of the hand in kilograms. Material and methods. We prospectively analyzed a group of 44 patients diagnosed with heart failure class II-III NYHA who were hospitalized between June 17 and July 15, 2019 in the Cardiology Department of Elias Hospital. We evaluated the grasping force of the hand of patients with heart failure using the Amadeo robot. The Amadeo robot is a device used in the rehabilitation of stroke patients, which can measure the flexion and extension force of the hand using sensors attached to the hand and fingers. Results. By evaluating patients with heart failure using the Amadeo robot, the average value of the hand extension force was 2.364 kg at admission and 2.264 kg at discharge. The flex-ion force of the hand was 6.78 kg at admission and 7.361 kg at discharge. Patients enrolled in the study who had valvulopathies, atrial fibrillation and diabetes had a lower value of the extension force of the hand compared to patients with heart failure who did not have these pathologies. Patients with valvulopathies, high blood pressure, and ischemic heart disease also had a lower flexion strength than those without these diseases. Conclusions. It is known that the grasping force of the hand is an important indicator in assessing the fragility status of patients. Patients with heart failure are frail patients with multiple comorbidities in which physical deconditioning acts as a negative prognostic factor on morbidity, mortality, and increased hospitalization rates. Thus, the physical rehabilitation of patients with heart failure is essential for increasing the quality of life and also for decreasing morbidity and mortality and the rate of hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical rehabilitation programs for patients with heart failure (HF) are underdeveloped in our country. In order to establish the correct rehabilitation plan, the first step is to evaluate the patient’s functional capacity. G-Walk is a simple and effective test in assessing functional capacity. The aim of the study is to analyze the correlation between the results obtained in Timed Up and Go (TUG) and walking speed test and the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Material and methods. We prospectively analyzed a group of 44 patients with heart failure class II-III NYHA hospitalized in the Cardiology Department of Elias Hospital between June 17 and July 15, 2019.We evaluated the functional mobility of the patients with heart failure with the G-Walk device that contains a wireless sensor. The G-Walk device represents a gait analysis system, performing – according to a protocol – 2 tests: Walk (patient’s walking speed) and TUG (measures balance and mobility). Results. After analyzing the walking speed, the patients were divided into 2 groups: those with a speed <0.8 m/s and those with a speed> 0.8 m/s. Out of 44 patients, 21 patients had a walking speed < 0.8 m/s and 23 patients had a walking speed > 0.8 m/s. It was seen that patients with lower walking speed (V < 0.8 m/s) versus patients with better walking speed (V > 0.8 m/s) were older, had a lower body weight, a lower blood pressure value, a lower value of the oxygen saturation, a lower value of sodium and a higher blood glucose value. After analyzing the value of the TUG test, patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with a TUG test duration < 15 seconds and patients with a TUG test duration > 15 seconds. Thus, out of 44 patients studied, 19 patients had a TUG value < 15 seconds and 25 patients had a TUG value over 15 seconds. It was observed that patients with a higher TUG value (> 15 seconds) versus patients with normal TUG value (< 15 seconds) were older, had a higher creatinine value and a higher blood glucose value. Conclusions. It has been shown that a low value of walking speed and mobility is associated with increased morbidity and mortality of all causes in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease. The physical rehabilitation of patients with heart failure is very important for improving the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]