The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study is part of a research program conducted by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK).

When Steffen Eyring suffered a severe heart attack in July 2020, the now 58-year-old was in a coma for several days. Although his condition initially stabilized after rehabilitation, his cardiac output remained severely impaired. Together with his wife, Ina, he tried to restructure their daily routine. The couple changed their diet and began taking regular walks to strengthen his heart.

“At first, we managed 30 minutes, then it took him 40 minutes to cover the same distance—and later even longer. He had to stop repeatedly and was struggling to breathe,” says Ina Eyring. “It was a gradual process.” The cause: severe heart failure.