Low 6-Minute Walk Distance and Muscle Mass Predict Drop out in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Cardiac rehabilitation post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces mortality and recurrence.
• High dropout rates limit the effectiveness of these vital programs.
• Identifying predictors of dropout is crucial for enhancing patient adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient characteristics associated with dropout from a 1-year home-based cardiac rehabilitation program.
• To compare participants who completed versus those who dropped out of the program.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 593 patients (455 men, 138 women) post-PCI were enrolled in a 1-year home-based cardiac rehabilitation program with three center visits.
• Dropout was defined as missing the second or third center visit after attending the first.
• Key variables including blood lipids, quality of life, socioeconomic status, and 6-minute walk distance were compared between completers and dropouts.

Main Results:

• Low 6-minute walk distance and low muscle mass ratio significantly correlated with higher dropout rates in both men and women.
• Men with lower education and income showed significantly higher dropout rates.
• Women with lower blood pressure and triglycerides exhibited decreased dropout rates.

Conclusions:

• Patient characteristics like functional capacity (6-minute walk distance, muscle mass) are key predictors of cardiac rehabilitation dropout.
• Socioeconomic factors and specific physiological markers influence dropout differently between sexes.
• These findings can inform the development of targeted strategies to improve patient adherence and reduce dropout in cardiac rehabilitation programs.