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Impact of aerobic exercise training on endothelial function in acute coronary syndrome
Chul Kim1, Hee Eun Choi2, Heejin Jung1
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
A six-week cardiac rehabilitation program significantly improved aerobic capacity and arterial endothelial function in patients after acute coronary syndrome. This exercise-based program is crucial for coronary artery disease management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) necessitates interventions to improve cardiovascular health.
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a common treatment for ACS.
- Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a six-week aerobic exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program on arterial endothelial function.
- To assess changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) in patients undergoing CR.
Main Methods:
- Patients with ACS post-PCI were divided into a CR group (aerobic exercise training) and a control group (exercise advice).
- Both groups underwent graded exercise testing (GXT) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) testing at baseline and after six weeks.
- VO2peak and FMD values were compared between groups before and after the intervention.
Main Results:
- The CR group showed a statistically significant improvement in VO2peak.
- The CR group also demonstrated a significant improvement in FMD values, indicating enhanced endothelial function.
- No significant changes in VO2peak or FMD were observed in the control group.
Conclusions:
- A six-week exercise-based CR program effectively improves cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) and endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease.
- These findings underscore the importance of exercise-based CR programs for post-ACS patients.
Objective:
To confirm the improvement in arterial endothelial function by aerobic exercise training, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was tested by ultrasonography.
Methods:
Patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention due to acute coronary syndrome were included. The patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program were categorized as the CR group, and others who did not participate as the control. Both groups underwent initial graded exercise test (GXT) and FMD testing. Subsequently, the CR group performed aerobic exercise training sessions. Patients in control only received advice regarding the exercise methods. After six weeks, both groups received follow-up GXT and FMD testing.
Results:
There were 16 patients in each group. There were no significant differences in the general characteristics between the groups. The VO2peak was 28.6±4.7 mL/kg/min in the CR group and 31.5±7.4 mL/kg/min in the control at first GXT, and was 31.1±5.1 ml/kg/min in the CR group and 31.4±6.0 ml/kg/min in the control at the follow-up GXT in six weeks. There was a statistically significant improvement in VO2peak only for CR group patients. FMD value was 7.59%±1.26% in the CR group, 7.36%±1.48% in the control at first and 9.46%±1.82% in the CR group, and 8.31%±2.04% in the control after six weeks. There was a statistically significant improvement in FMD value in the CR group.
Conclusion:
According to the results of GXT and FMD testing, six-week exercise-based CR program improved VO2peak and endothelial functions significantly. Thus, exercise-based CR program is necessary in patients with coronary artery disease.
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