Evaluating the efficacy of dual-task training in older patients with chronic heart failure and comorbid cognitive frailty: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) represents the severe manifestation or end stage of various cardiac diseases, characterized by high morbidity, readmission rates, and mortality. With the intensification of global population aging, the prevalence of CHF has risen significantly among the older population, becoming a major issue affecting seniors' health and quality of life. Aging not only increases CHF prevalence but also exacerbates its complexity and treatment difficulty. Recent studies indicate that CHF patients exhibit cognitive frailty, which significantly elevates their risks of readmission, diminished quality of life, and mortality. However, there is currently a lack of intervention strategies specifically targeting CHF patients with cognitive frailty. This study aims to investigate the comprehensive intervention effects of dual-task training on cognitive function, frailty phenotype, and quality of life in older patients with CHF through standardized randomized controlled trials, providing new pathways for optimizing geriatric comorbidity management. METHODS: This is a single-center, randomized controlled, single-blind clinical trial aiming to recruit 72 older patients with cognitive frailty and CHF hospitalized in the cardiology department. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the control group. Those in the intervention group will receive the progressive dual-task training intervention, while those in the control group will receive routine care. Participants in the intervention group will undergo this dual-task training three times per week for a period of three months. The primary outcome measures are cognitive function and physical frailty, while the secondary outcomes include exercise endurance, lower limb muscle strength, grip strength, and quality of life. DISCUSSION: This randomized controlled clinical trial will evaluate whether dual-task training improves cognitive function, frailty status, cardiac function, and quality of life in older patients with CHF and cognitive frailty. The results will provide further research evidence for clinical application in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ChiCTR2500105453, Registered July 3, 2025.