Despite the development of significant pharmaceutical treatments, morbidity and mortality of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients remain high, patients� quality of life is poor, and their health care utilization is heavy. It is therefore important to find a cost effective non-pharmaceutical treatment to help CHF patients manage the disease. The relaxation response has been found to be effective in managing CHF-related conditions. With its favorable physiological changes, the relaxation response is likely to benefit CHF patients.

Background:

Despite the development of significant pharmaceutical treatments, morbidity and mortality of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients remain high, patients� quality of life is poor, and their health care utilization is heavy. It is therefore important to find a cost effective non-pharmaceutical treatment to help CHF patients manage the disease. The relaxation response has been found to be effective in managing CHF-related conditions. With its favorable physiological changes, the relaxation response is likely to benefit CHF patients.

Objectives:

1. To evaluate the effects of a 15-week relaxation response intervention program on improving functional capacity and health-related quality of life as compared with an ongoing 15-week educational program for cardiac disease management, and a control group of usual cardiac care; 2. To identify the costs of conducting the intervention and the cardiac care education and the costs associated with cardiac care services; and to compare cost among three study groups.

Methods:

This is a single-blind three-armed randomized trial in CHF patients who receive care at the Boston VA Medical Center. Enrolled patients are randomly assigned, with equal numbers, to one of the three study groups. Outcomes include cardiac functional capacity and self-reported health-related quality of life. We also conduct a qualitative study to interview patients by phone about their experience in the study.

Status:

This project has completed the data collection phase and is in the data analysis phase.

• Behavioral: relaxation technique
• Behavioral: educational program

• Chang BH, Hendricks AM, Slawsky MT, Locastro JS. Patient recruitment to a randomized clinical trial of behavioral therapy for chronic heart failure. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2004 Apr 17;4:8.
• Chang BH, Jones D, Hendricks A, Boehmer U, Locastro JS, Slawsky M. Relaxation response for Veterans Affairs patients with congestive heart failure: results from a qualitative study within a clinical trial. Prev Cardiol. 2004 Spring;7(2):64-70.
• Chang BH, Hendricks A, Zhao Y, Rothendler JA, LoCastro JS, Slawsky MT. A relaxation response randomized trial on patients with chronic heart failure. J Cardiopulm Rehabil. 2005 May-Jun;25(3):149-57.

Inclusion Criteria:

CHF diagnosis, NY stage 2 or 3

Exclusion Criteria: