Four-week multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation produces similar improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life to a 10-week program.
BACKGROUND
Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is widely accepted as beneficial for patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). A need exists to evaluate how different formats of delivery can best meet CR service demands.


RESULTS
Cardiac patients (n = 60) were randomly assigned to either a standard 10-week (30 sessions) or a 4-week (20 sessions) multifactorial rehabilitation program. Patients underwent exercise testing using the Bruce protocol before, immediately after, and then 6 months after CR. Patients also completed the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale at each time point. Compared with pre-CR, exercise time and metabolic equivalents attained were significantly increased, and heart rate significantly decreased both immediately (P<.05) and 6 months after CR (P<.05) in both groups, with no between-group differences. Significant improvements (P<.05) in energy, pain, and general health were reported after CR, and in energy and emotional and social well-being at 6 months after CR. No differences were seen between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac rehabilitation after MI and CABG significantly improved exercise capacity and general health and well-being. No significant differences were detected between groups undergoing a 10-week or 4-week course. These preliminary data suggest that shortened courses of CR may be beneficial to cardiac patients and such courses may also facilitate more widespread use of CR.
Hevey
David
D
Department of Cardiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. dhevey@tcd.ie
Brown
Angela
A
Cahill
Alison
A
Newton
Helen
H
Kierns
Mary
M
Horgan
John Henry
JH
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010810:Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D011336:Probability; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome