Exercise, Heart Failure, and Type 2 Diabetes

The investigators will measure exercise capacity in patients with heart failure or heart
failure plus type 2 diabetes prior to and following a 12-week exercise training program
(5d/wk, 30 min/d, 60-75% VO2max) to determine whether improvements in exercise capacity in
response to exercise training are mitigated in patients with combined heart failure plus
type 2 diabetes.

Inclusion Criteria:

- ≥50 yr of age

- New York Heart Association class II-III CHF and ejection fraction ≤35%

- receiving optimal medical therapy

- sedentary (≤ 30 min/wk structured physical activity).

- Half of volunteers (n=30) will have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (CHF+T2D).

Exclusion Criteria:

- smoking

- changes in medication ≤6 wk prior to enrollment

- major cardiovascular event or procedure ≤6 wk prior to enrollment

- foot ulcers

- advanced neuropathy

- co-morbidities or other limitations that may interfere with or prevent volunteers
from safely completing the exercise training

- fixed rate pacemaker

- type 1 diabetes mellitus