Health-related quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease after residential vs ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of residential (RCR) vs ambulatory (ACR) cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on health-related quality of life (QOL) connected with changes in exercise capacity of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).


RESULTS
The 562 patients with CHD were studied: 313 participants in RCR and 249 participants in ACR. The examination was performed at the beginning of CR and after 8 weeks. QOL was assessed using the EuroQuol 5D (EQ-5D) and SF36 questionnaires. Exercise testing was performed with evaluation of workload during the last stage of the test and rate of perceived exertion intensity. In the first examination, patients from both groups did not differ significantly. After 8 weeks, a similar improvement in QOL was observed in both settings of CR according to EQ-5D and SF36 results. Health status was improved by 11.1% in the RCR group and by 10.4% in the ACR group. Last workload's intensity increased significantly by 32.1% in the RCR group and by 38.1% in the ACR group. The rate of perceived exertion intensity did not change despite the bigger workloads during the exercise test.


CONCLUSIONS
Comprehensive CR improves health-related QOL and exercise capacity without differences between residential and ambulatory models.
Jegier
Anna
A
Department of Sports Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, Plac Hallera 1, Poland. ajegier@bg.umed.lodz.pl
Jegier
Anna
A
Szmigielska
Katarzyna
K
Bilinska
Maria
M
Brodowski
Lechoslaw
L
Galaszek
Michal
M
Mrozek
Pawel
P
Olszewska
Barbara
B
Piotrowski
Wieslaw
W
Przywarska
Izabela
I
Rybicki
Jerzy
J
Zielinska
Dominika
D
D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior