title: Cardiac rehabilitation in Austria: short term quality of life improvements in patients with heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of cardiac rehabilitation programs is not only to prolong life, but also to improve physical functioning, symptoms, wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of the study was to document short-term outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation programs in Austria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients (N = 487, 64.7% male, age 60.9 +/- 12.5 SD years) after myocardial infarction (MI), with or without percutaneous interventions (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart valve surgery (HVS), referred to the six inpatient rehabilitation centers of the Austrian PVA insurance company, were included in the study. Exercise capacity, risk factors and HRQL (MacNew Heart Disease Quality of Life Instrument [MacNew] and EuroQoL-5D [EQ-5D]) were measured at the beginning and end of the 4-week inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Global HRQL (MacNew) improved significantly over time in all patients combined (+0.75 +/- 0.88 SD, T = -16.99, df = 394, p < .001) and exceeded the minimal important difference. Patients with CABG, HVS or MI without PCI showed the greatest improvements in global HRQL after cardiac rehabilitation (p < .02). Blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, body mass index, waist circumference improved significantly (all p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide evidence that the improvements in HRQL and risk factors following cardiac rehabilitation in Austria are clinically important. HRQL should become a standard outcome parameter in cardiac rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Medizin Universität Innsbruck, Univ.-Klinik für Medizinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Innsbruck, Osterreich. stefan.hoefer@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Höfer
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kullich
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Graninger
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gassner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klicpera
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laimer
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marko
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schwann
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000523:psychology*; D001317:Austria; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012307:Risk Factors