A randomized crossover trial found that passive lower-limb heating at 42°C significantly improved exercise endurance in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The study demonstrated that participants who immersed their legs in hot water walked a considerably longer distance in an endurance shuttle walk test compared with those in the control condition. This suggests that passive heat therapy may serve as a nonpharmacologic intervention to enhance exercise capacity in patients with HFrEF and potentially help them sustain higher exercise volumes in rehabilitation programs.

Source: European Journal of Heart Failure