Exercise training and the prevention of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

To evaluate whether exercise training prevents the restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), treadmill exercise with thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy was performed at first and thirteenth week after PTCA in 18 patients with training and in 20 patients without training. Total treadmill exercise duration and maximal pressure rate product 13 weeks after PTCA increased significantly in the trained group, whereas there was no significant change in the untrained group. ST segment depression from the baseline did not change significantly in both groups. Myocardial perfusion obtained by Tl-201 scintigraphy improved significantly in the trained group, whereas there was no significant change in the untrained group. The restenosis rates at the third month after PTCA was 17% (3/18) in the trained group and 40% (8/20) in the untrained group. It is concluded that in patients with coronary artery disease, exercise training improves myocardial perfusion by preventing the progression of coronary artery stenosis after PTCA.