Impact of an Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Cardiopulmonary Test Parameters

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRPs) improve cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life while reducing cardiovascular events.
• Understanding exercise capacity changes based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) post-CRP is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine changes in exercise capacity and cardiac events in patients undergoing CRP, stratified by LVEF.
• To compare functional improvements between patients with reduced and preserved LVEF after CRP.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 131 patients completing a center-based CRP from 2015-2022 were analyzed.
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), echocardiography, and laboratory tests were performed pre- and post-CRP.
• Patients were categorized based on LVEF, with 36.6% having reduced LVEF.

Main Results:

• Reduced LVEF patients had lower baseline peak VO2 (pVO2), predicted oxygen consumption (ppVO2), and VO2 at anaerobic threshold.
• Both reduced and preserved LVEF groups demonstrated comparable improvements in exercise performance (Δ pVO2, Δ ppVO2, Δ VE/VCO2 slope) post-CRP.
• No significant differences in cardiac event hospitalizations or mortality were observed between groups during follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Patients with reduced LVEF exhibit lower functional status at baseline but benefit equally from CRPs regarding functional improvements.
• Comparable improvements in exercise capacity suggest CRPs are effective for both reduced and preserved LVEF groups.
• Increased participation of patients with reduced LVEF in CRPs should be encouraged.