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[Evaluation of a cardiac rehabilitation program. Analysis after ten years of follow-up]
L A Lion1, M Cruz P di, F M Albanesi Filho
1Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ.
Insights
Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) significantly improve functional capacity in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. These programs enhance exercise duration, oxygen consumption, and metabolic equivalents, proving safe and effective post-event.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) necessitates effective post-event management strategies.
- Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) aim to improve cardiovascular health and functional capacity in patients with CAD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the benefits of a CRP in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 49 CAD patients in a CRP was compared to 37 sedentary patients.
- Key parameters analyzed included exercise duration, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), metabolic equivalent (MET), functional aerobic impairment (FAI), and cardiorespiratory capacity changes via graded exercise tests (GTX).
Main Results:
- CRP participants showed statistically significant improvements in exercise duration, VO2 max, and MET compared to the sedentary group (p < 0.05).
- No additional benefits were observed for program durations exceeding 24 months.
- No cardiovascular complications occurred during the study period.
Conclusions:
- CRP participation leads to significantly better functional capacity improvements in CAD patients compared to sedentary individuals.
- The CRP demonstrated to be a safe and effective therapeutic intervention following a coronary event.
Purpose:
To study the benefits of the cardiac rehabilitation program (CRP) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods:
Between 1986 and 1995 we studied 49 patients with CAD, participants of the CRP, 45 (91.83%) of them men. They were compared with a control group of 37 sedentary patients, 33 (89.18%) men. The main parameters analyzed were the duration of exercise, the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), the metabolic equivalent (MET), the functional aerobic impairment (FAI) and the change in the classification of the cardiorespiratory capacity between two graded exercise tests (GTX).
Results:
There were improvements in all parameters of the GTX analyzed in the two groups. The patients of the CRP presented a better functional capacity than the sedentary patients and, in relation to the duration of exercise, to the VO2 max and to the MET, the differences in the two groups achieved statistical significance (p < 0.05). We did not observe benefits, in relation to the physical conditioning, with a more prolonged permanence of the patients in the program (more than 24 months). There were no cardiovascular complications with the practice of the exercise in the period analyzed.
Conclusion:
The improvement in the duration of exercise, in the VO2 max and in the MET, the more negative variation in the FAI and the improvement in the classification of the cardiorespiratory capacity between the two GTX of the patients of the CRP demonstrate improvement in functional capacity significantly better than sedentary patients. The CRP analyzed was considered a therapeutic method safe and efficient after a coronary event.