Blood Flow Restriction Effectiveness in Patients with Cardiac Disease: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review is to further investigate the effectiveness and safety of cardiovascular patients participating in blood flow restriction therapy. Methods: The search for the scoping review was made through Pubmed, Cinahl, and PEDro. Inclusion criteria included full text available and English studies. The MESH terms applied were “blood flow restriction therapy AND cardiac disease OR vascular disease AND hypertrophy”as well as “blood flow restriction intervention AND cardiac rehabilitation.” Articles that were selected were assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses. Results: After screening for inclusion/exclusion criteria and following JBI scoring, 5 articles were accepted for this review. Conclusion: There are many potential benefits to utilizing blood flow restriction therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease, such as improving muscle strength and blood pressure while maintaining a lower intensity of exercise. Currently, there is mixed evidence to recommendsuch treatment for these patients based on safety and possible long-term adverse reactions. In conclusion, it is recommended that further studies be performed with larger sample sizes involving cardiovascular patients compared to healthy adults. We suggest monitoring short and long-term cardiac responses to further investigate the safety and effectiveness of BFR intervention in patients with cardiovascular diseases.