Effect of physical training on indices of platelet aggregation and fibrinogen concentration in patients with chronic heart failure

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of long-term physical load on the changes in the fibrinogen concentration and platelet aggregation.
Material and methods: Platelet aggregation was investigated in 144 patients while fibrinogen concentration in 138 patients with CHF. The patients were divided into the groups of the trained patients and the controls and were investigated as follows: on admission to the hospital (stage 1); after treatment in the hospital (stage 2); after 3 months (stage 3); after 6 months (stage 4); and after 1 year (stage 5). The indices were investigated before and after physical load.
Results: It was determined that fibrinogen concentration significantly increased after physical load in all the treatment stages in both groups of the patients (P = 0.045). In the course of the treatment, fibrinogen concentration gradually decreased in the group of the trained patients (P = 0.02). Platelet aggregation investigated with ADP significantly increased after physical load in all the stages in both groups of the patients and decreased during the different investigation stages in the groups of the untrained (P = 0.02) and trained patients. Platelet aggregation investigated with ADR consistently decreased before physical load during the different investigation stages in the groups of the trained (difference is not significant) and untrained patients (P = 0.02).
Conclusions: Physical training reduces fibrinogen concentration in patients with CHF. It remains unclear whether physical training can have an effect on the decrease in platelet aggregation in patients who have long-term physical training applied.