Age-Related Differences for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improvement in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Rehabilitation

We investigated age-related differences for peak oxygen uptake (peak VO₂) improvement with exercise training during cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

This was a retrospective cohort study of the Mayo Clinic Rochester CR program including adult patients who attended CR (≥1 session) for any eligible indication between 1999 and 2017 and who had a cardiopulmonary exercise test pre and post CR with VO₂ data (peak respiratory exchange ratio ≥1.0). Younger (20-49 yrs), midlife (50-64 yrs), and older adults (≥65 yrs) were compared using ANOVA for delta and percent change in peak VO₂; and percentage of peak VO₂ responders (>0% change).

708 patients (age: 60.8 ± 12.1 years; 24% female) met inclusion criteria. Delta and percent change in peak VO₂ was lower for older adults (1.6 ± 3.2 mL.kg.min^-1; 12 ± 27%) compared with younger (3.7 ± 4.0 mL.kg.min^-1, p < 0.001; 23 ± 28%, p = 0.002) and midlife adults (2.8 ± 3.8 mL.kg.min^-1, p < 0.001; 17 ± 28%, p = 0.04). For midlife, delta change, but not percent change in peak VO₂ was significantly lower (p = 0.02) compared with younger. Percentage of responders was only different between older and younger (72 vs. 86%; p = 0.008). Sensitivity analyses in non-surgical patients showed similar differences for delta change, and differences in percent change remained significant between older and younger adults (10 ± 20% vs. 16 ± 18%; p = 0.04).

In CR patients, older adults had lower improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness than younger and midlife adults. While excluding surgical patients reduced age-related differences, older adults still had lower cardiorespiratory fitness improvement during CR. These findings may have implications for individualizing CR programming in aging populations to reduce future cardiovascular risk.