EXercise and Activin Inhibition to Modulate InflammatioN Effects on Heart Failure and Cognition (EXAMINE-HFC)

Exclusion criteria

• . Conditions anticipated to independently impact exercise capacity or clinical stability during the trial period
• . Current or recent (within 30 days) acute decompensated HF requiring intravenous diuretics or hospitalization;
• . Initiation of treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonist or SGLT2 inhibitor within 60 days of screening;
• . Planned cardiac surgery or catheter intervention during the period of trial participation;
• . Entry within 30 days of screening or plans to enter a weight loss program and/or cardiac rehabilitation or initiate any new exercise program during the study.
• . Primary cardiomyopathy (e.g., constrictive, restrictive, infiltrative, toxic, hypertrophic, congenital), LVEF \< 40% within the last 3 years, or active myocarditis;
• . Lactating, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant;
• . Non-cardiac organ system dysfunction or sufficient severity to predominate as the source of exercise intolerance in addition to the following specific criteria: pulmonary disease with chronic home daytime supplemental O2 dependence, severe anemia with hemoglobin \< 9 g/dL or chronic kidney disease (CKD) with estimated GFR \< 30 mL/min/1.73m2 based on the CKD-EPI equation.