Alterations in submaximal cardiopulmonary indicators in CVD patients participating in APBCRE-a comprehensive...

This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a one-month Adaptive Postural Balance Cardiac Rehabilitation (APBCRE) program for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and to assess the validity of the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) as a measure of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation outcomes.

The study implemented a one-month exercise rehabilitation program consisting of 12 sessions, held three times a week for 50-70 min each. All sessions were conducted on a one-on-one basis, with each patient receiving direct supervision throughout the program from certified cardiac rehabilitation nurses and physical therapists. A CPET test was administered by the same therapist before and after the program, and exercise instruction was provided prior to each test.

Participants were stratified into two age groups for analysis. After completing the rehabilitation program, significant improvements were observed in WAT (56.86 ± 25.43 to 71.93 ± 26.64 w, p = 0.0009), VE at AT (29.64 ± 7.91 to 35.38 ± 12.22 mL/min/kg, p = 0.006), VO₂ at AT (11.74 ± 3.20 to 13.79 ± 3.48 mL/min/kg, p = 0.002) and OUES [1,485.20 ± 377.54 to 1,610.60 ± 419.81 mL/(min·L), p = 0.035]. The change in VO₂ at AT was more pronounced than in VE at AT. The primary evaluation metrics were VO₂ at AT and OUES, while secondary metrics included RER, HR, VE at AT, and VE/VCO₂.

The findings suggest that APBCRE is a potentially effective rehabilitation method for patients with cardiovascular disease, leading to significant improvements in exercise tolerance within one month. Furthermore, the OUES was found to be a potentially valuable indicator for assessing changes in cardiorespiratory fitness among young individuals during sports rehabilitation.