title: Age-related differences in physiologic and psychosocial outcomes after cardiac rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine differences in physiologic and psychosocial outcomes between age groups after an exercise-based supervised-recovery phase II cardiac rehabilitation outpatient program.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a longitudinal observational study. The study assessed 442 consecutive cardiac patients. Patients were divided into the middle-aged group (<65 yrs, n = 242) and older-age group (> or =65 yrs, n = 200). Peak oxygen uptake, handgrip and knee extensor muscle strength, upper- and lower-body self-efficacy for physical activity, and physical component summary and mental component summary scores as assessed by SF-36 were measured at 1 and 3 mos after the onset of acute myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery and were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All physiologic and psychosocial outcomes increased significantly between months 1 and 3 in both groups. However, increases were greater in the middle-aged vs. older-aged group in peak oxygen uptake (+13.1% vs. +8.7%, P < 0.01), knee extensor muscle strength (+17.6% vs. +13.3%, P = 0.01), lower-body self-efficacy for physical activity (+17.3% vs. +12.7%, P = 0.02), and physical component summary score (+5.4% vs. +2.7%, P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age-related differences in various physiologic and psychosocial measures indicated greater improvement from an exercise-based supervised recovery-phase II cardiac rehabilitation outpatient program in middle-aged vs. older-aged patients. Older adults may derive equal mental or emotional benefit from such a cardiac rehabilitation program but do not experience as much improvement in physiologic outcomes as middle-aged adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiraki
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morio
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omiya
authors.forename: Setsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iijima
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011788:Quality of Life