[Triangular or rectangular rehabilitation after myocardial infarction. Comparative study by drawing of lots...

Triangular and rectangular rehabilitation techniques were assessed by comparative exercise performance and respiratory evaluation in twenty six phase II post-myocardial infarction patients. Patients all performed a standard exercise test with measurement of VO2, before and after 40 rehabilitation sessions. Clinical, exercise and ventilatory parameters were identical in the two groups before rehabilitation (triangular--n = 13; rectangular--n = 13). Exercise capacity was increased by 18% and 19% respectively after rehabilitation. Maximum aerobic capacity nevertheless remained unchanged (27.6 +/- 7.1 before; 28.3 +/- 6.7 ml/kg/min after) in all patients. Analysis of variance failed to reveal superiority of one of the two rehabilitation techniques over the other.