Fatigue syndrome in chronic heart failure: methods of evaluation
Urgency. Fatigue is a major symptom of CHE Various aspects of this condition can be combined into the fatigue syndrome in CHE Mechanisms of this syndrome, especially skeletal muscle fatigue, are not sufficiently studied. Aim. To evaluate the condition of skeletal muscles in patients with CHF to reveal mechanisms of physical fatigue using original methods. Material and methods. 50 patients with CHF (aged 45 to 75 years; 17 women, 33 men) which had complicated the course of IHD, were evaluated. ECG, echoCG, 6-min test, sonography of tibial anterior muscle and contractility examination of gastrocnemius muscle were performed. Results. Data of sonography along with data on stimulated contractions suggested that muscle structure, dimensions and function changed in the course of CHF. At first adaptive muscle mobilization (increased dimensions and amplitudes of voluntary and stimulated contractions) occurred, which were followed by a gradual decline in all parameters of muscle performance. Isolation of the fatigue syndrome is important for detection of CHF and evaluation of CHF severity.