Outcomes and adverse events among patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators in cardiac rehabilitation: a case-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes and adverse events among patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) in cardiac rehabilitation programs.


METHODS
Data were compared for 42 consecutive patients with ICDs and 42 control patients matched by age, gender, and left ventricular ejection fraction without ICDs and enrolled in the same program.


RESULTS
The number of cardiac rehabilitation exercise sessions for each group was 828 and 925, respectively. Only 1 patient experienced an ICD firing during exercise; there were no cardiac arrests and no deaths in either group. Compliance with cardiac rehabilitation was similar in both groups with most dropouts for nonmedical reasons and similar rates for cardiac-related reasons. Improvements in exercise capacity were similar between groups (30% in ICD patients and 37% in controls).


CONCLUSIONS
Although larger studies are needed, these data suggest that supervised exercise training in patients with ICDs appears to be safe and effective.
Fan
Sarah
S
Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.
Lyon
Caroline E
CE
Savage
Patrick D
PD
Ozonoff
Al
A
Ades
Philip A
PA
Balady
Gary J
GJ
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left