© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 307
J. Xiao (ed.), Exercise for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment,
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 999,
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4307-9_17
Chapter 17
Exercise Training in Pulmonary Hypertension
and Right Heart Failure: Insights from Pre-
clinical Studies
Daniel Moreira-Gonçalves, Rita Ferreira-Nogueira, Mário Santos,
Ana Filipa Silva, Rita Ferreira, Adelino Leite-Moreira, José Alberto Duarte,
and Tiago Henriques-Coelho
Abstract Exercise training (ExT) is widely used for the prevention and treatment of
several chronic cardiovascular diseases. However, only recently it started to be recog-
nized as safe and beneficial in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Despite the consis-
tency of its favorable effects on exercise tolerance and quality of life, the mechanisms
underlying these meaningful clinical improvements remain unclear. Current studies
emphasize the exercise-induced changes on skeletal muscle but the impact of ExT at
the level of the pulmonary circulation and right ventricle should not be overlooked.
In this chapter, we summarize the main findings from pre- clinical studies analyzing
the impact of exercise in pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure.
Keywords Exercise • Cardiovascular diseases • Pulmonary arterial hypertension •
Right ventricle
D. Moreira-Gonçalves (*)
Center of Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sport University of
Porto, R. Dr. Plácido da Costa 91, Porto 4200-450, Portugal
Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine University of Porto,
Porto 4200-319, Portugal
e-mail: [email protected]
R. Ferreira-Nogueira
Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro,
Campus Universitário de São Tiago, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal
Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine University of Porto,
Porto 4200-319, Portugal
M. Santos
Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine University of Porto,
Porto 4200-319, Portugal
Cardiology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto,
Porto, Portugal