Hybrid Cardiac Rehabilitation as an Optimal Strategy for Post-MI Recovery: A 14-Week Prospective Study on Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Hybrid cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, integrating supervised and home-based components with wearable technology, offer potential for improved access and outcomes post-myocardial infarction (MI).
• Evaluating the efficacy of a 14-week hybrid CR program is crucial for patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II symptoms post-MI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a 14-week hybrid CR program on functional class, exercise capacity, hemodynamics, body composition, and physical activity in post-MI patients (NYHA class II).

Main Methods:

• Sixty-six post-MI adults participated in a 14-week hybrid CR program: 2 weeks in-hospital initiation followed by 12 weeks of home-based rehabilitation using a smartwatch-smartphone platform.
• Within-subject changes from baseline to week 14 were analyzed using paired statistical tests.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in NYHA functional class (39% downgrading), maximal METS (25.7% increase), and watts/kg (p < 0.001).
• Reductions in body weight (1.27 ± 2.51 kg), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p ≤ 0.002), and resting heart rate (p = 0.002) were noted.
• Significant increases in skeletal muscle mass (0.98 kg gain) and daily step count (5550 to 7267 steps; p < 0.001) were recorded, alongside decreased fat mass and increased total body water.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid CR program demonstrated significant benefits in functional capacity, hemodynamics, body composition, and physical activity for post-MI NYHA II patients.
• This remotely enabled strategy is a feasible and potentially effective alternative to conventional CR, particularly in resource-limited settings.
• Further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these benefits, especially with a control group.