Functional Electrical Stimulation of Peripheral Muscles in Heart Failure With Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Inclusion Criteria: (i) symptoms \[New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III\] and signs typical of heart failure (ii) left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) \>50% and LV end-diastolic volume index \<97 mL/m2 (iii) findings of left atrial (LA) dilatation (LA volume index \>40mL/m2), LV hypertrophy and/or LV diastolic dysfunction \[ie, mitral E/A ratio \<1 or \>2, mitral E/e' ratio \>15 or 8-15, (A pulmonary - A mitral) duration difference \>30 ms etc) (iv) no alterations in medical therapy during the previous 4 weeks (v) no myocardial infarction within 3 months prior to enrollment Exclusion Criteria: recent (≤4 weeks) heart failure decompensation * acute coronary syndrome * chronic inflammatory diseases and malignancies