| Demographic variable | Intervention group (n = 49) | Control group (n = 47) | p-value |
| Basic attribute | |||
| Male sex | 31 (63.3%) | 30 (63.8%) | 1.000 |
| Age | 71.6 ± 9.3 | 74.6 ± 8.1 | 0.198 |
| Living alone | 7 (14.3%) | 6 (12.8%) | 1.000 |
| Worker | 13 (26.5%) | 6 (12.8%) | 0.125 |
| Underlying disease | |||
| Hypertension | 40 (81.6%) | 36 (76.6%) | 0.620 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 16 (32.7%) | 22 (46.8%) | 0.211 |
| Valve disease | 24 (49.0%) | 23 (48.9%) | 1.000 |
| Cardiac myopathy | 5 (10.2%) | 1 (2.1%) | 0.204 |
| Blood pressure | |||
| Systolic pressure | 128.2 ± 11.9 | 131.2 ± 7.0 | 0.565 |
| Diastolic pressure | 71.3 ± 5.5 | 71.5 ± 4.7 | 0.881 |
| Pressure pulse | 57.7 ± 10.0 | 58.6 ± 9.4 | 0.656 |
| Body weight | 62.1 ± 11.4 | 62.7 ± 10.7 | 0.780 |
| Clinical condition | |||
| New York Heart Association grade 2 | 39 (79.6%) | 38 (80.9%) | 1.000 |
| Brain natriuretic peptide | 153.2 ± 149.1 | 163.6 ± 198.5 | 0.769 |
| Arrhythmia | 12 (24.5%) | 11 (23.4%) | 1.000 |
| Paroxysmal dyspnea | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | - |
| Distention of the jugular vein | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | - |
| Moist rale | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | - |
| Ankle edema | 3 (6.1%) | 0 (0%) | 0.242 |
| Coughing at night | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | - |
| Shortness of breath | 5 (10.2%) | 6 (12.8%) | 0.757 |
| Curative drug | |||
| Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor | 5 (10.2%) | 2 (4.3%) | 0.436 |
| β blocker | 23 (46.9%) | 17 (36.2%) | 0.308 |
| Digitalis product | 10 (20.4%) | 13 (27.7%)) | 0.477 |
| Diuretic | 24 (49.0%) | 22 (46.8%) | 0.841 |
| Aldosterone antagonist | 18 (36.7%) | 10 (21.3%) | 0.118 |
| Angiotensin-receptor antagonist | 16 (32.7%) | 20 (42.6%) | 0.400 |