Special populations in cardiovascular rehabilitation. Peripheral arterial disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and heart failure.
Exercise rehabilitation has traditionally been part of the management of patients with coronary artery disease, particularly in the recovery period from a myocardial infarction or after coronary artery bypass surgery. The benefits of exercise training and formal rehabilitation programs are not limited to patients with coronary artery disease, and special populations described in this article should be considered for rehabilitation services. Patients with PAD are frequently severely limited by claudication pain. Exercise rehabilitation is an effective means to improve exercise performance without the use of drugs or operation. In patients with NIDDM, an exercise program not only improves exercise performance (which is impaired as compared with age-matched controls) but also improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Patients with left ventricular dysfunction have a severely limited peak exercise performance. In these patients, an exercise program can be conducted safely in a supervised setting and will result in a significant improvement in peak oxygen consumption.
Section of Vascular Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.
W R
WR
Hiatt
J G
JG
Regensteiner
E E
EE
Wolfel
D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000534:rehabilitation