BACKGROUND: Cardioprotective effects of remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) in the setting of ischaemic heart disease have been shown recently. But the effects of RIC on heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiac function in patients with stable ischaemic heart failure (IHF) are still unknown. METHODS: Fifty patients with stable IHF were enrolled and randomly divided into RIC group and control group. Remote ischaemic conditioning treatment was performed twice a day for 6 weeks. A remote is chaemic conditioning protocol consisted of 4x5min inflation/deflation of the blood pressure cuff applied in the upper arm to create intermittent arm ischaemia. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram, and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) were all assessed in two groups. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients completed the study. Remote ischaemic conditioning was well-tolerated by patients in the RIC group after 6 weeks treatment and LVEF showed a significant increase, from 39.2% to 43.4% (p<0.001), as well as decreased BNP, increased 6MWD and HRV, but this was not observed in the control group. In addition, the patients treated with RIC also showed improved NYHA class, LVEF, 6MWD, BNP level and HRV compared to control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a 6-week course of RIC treatment could improve cardiac function and HRV in patients with mild and stable IHF, supporting widespread use of RIC in the daily lives of these patients.