Benefits and Risks of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is crucial for secondary prevention in coronary artery disease (CAD).
• High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is proposed as a time-efficient alternative to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT).
• The scientific rationale and evidence supporting HIIT's superiority in cardiac rehabilitation require further substantiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the current evidence on the effectiveness and safety of HIIT compared to MICT in cardiac rehabilitation.
• To identify research gaps and guide future studies on HIIT for patients with CAD.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature comparing HIIT and MICT in cardiac rehabilitation settings.
• Analysis of studies focusing on exercise performance, vascular function, cardiovascular risk factors, and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• HIIT demonstrates comparable adherence to MICT during supervised outpatient programs but significantly lower compliance in unsupervised settings.
• While HIIT may offer short-term benefits in exercise performance and vascular function, it does not outperform MICT in modifying cardiovascular disease risk factors or improving cardiac performance.
• Long-term outcomes and logistical challenges of HIIT implementation remain uncertain.

Conclusions:

• Routine adoption of HIIT in cardiac rehabilitation should be approached cautiously due to limited evidence.
• Further research is essential to confirm the safety and efficacy of HIIT, particularly for unsupervised exercise in CAD patients.
• Clinicians must consider patient risk stratification before introducing HIIT as an alternative to MICT.