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Updated: Sep 14, 2025

A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Published on: April 19, 2019
Effect of an aerobic exercise program on cardiac remodeling and functional capacity in patients with stroke: CRONuS
Josiela Cristina da Silva Rodrigues1, Gustavo José Luvizutto2, Vitor Mendes Pereira3
1Department of Rehabilitation, Botucatu Medical School-UNESP, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil.
Background:
Aerobic exercise training leads to cardiovascular changes and improves cardiovascular performance and functional capacity after a stroke. However, the effect of aerobic exercise on cardiac remodeling in patients with stroke has been poorly explored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a physical exercise program on morphofunctional echocardiographic variables and the functional capacity of post-stroke patients.
Methods:
This randomized, controlled clinical trial included patients with stroke, categorized into the control group (CG), conventional physiotherapeutic care, and intervention group (IG). The IG underwent a cardiovascular rehabilitation program consisting of warm-up, aerobic exercise, and muscle cooling. Both conventional and test interventions lasted 45 min, three times a week for 16 weeks. The patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography, a 6-minute walk test, neurological and nutritional evaluation, laboratory tests, and QoL assessment initially and at 16 weeks after the intervention.
Results:
The IG showed significant reduction in the following morphological echocardiographic variables compared to the CG after intervention: diastolic thicknesses of the posterior wall (p = 0.0001) and interventricular septum (p = 0.004), relative wall thickness (p = 0.001), left ventricular mass (LVM, p < 0.001), LVM index (p < 0.0001), and left atrial diameter (p = 0.003). Regarding systolic and diastolic functions, the IG showed a significant increase in LV ejection fraction (p = 0.001) and tricuspid ring systolic excursion (p = 0.0002), and a reduction in the left atrial volume index (p = 0.001) and E/E' ratio (p = 0.01) compared to the CG. In addition, the IG showed an increase in the distance covered compared to the CG after the intervention (p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
The cardiovascular rehabilitation program improved the cardiac morphological and functional parameters and had a positive impact on the functional capacity of patients with chronic ischemic stroke.
Trial Registration:
REBEC, RBR-4wk4b3. Registered on 19 September 2016.
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