title: The effects of cardiac tertiary prevention program after coronary artery bypass graft surgery on health and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiac tertiary prevention programs intend to support the recovery course following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We investigated the effects of attendance at cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs following CABG on patients' mortality, morbidity and health related quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients who underwent CABG were selected in a way that half of them had attended a cardiac rehabilitation program and the other half had not. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire at a mean of 23.4 months postoperatively. Severity of cardiac symptoms on the basis of the New York Health Association (NYHA), the occurrence of any neurological symptoms, hospitalization and restoration of patients to their previous level of performance in social activities were assessed after CABG surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no deaths. There were no differences in postoperative NYHA scores, neurological symptoms, and hospitalization. Three of the eight health domains measured by SF-36, namely general health (P = 0.010), physical function (P = 0.002), and mental health (P < 0.001), showed significantly better values for attendants than non-attendants. Rehabilitation participants returned to their previous level of performance in social activities more than their control counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher general health scores (SF-36) were associated with attendance at CR programs. The findings of this study provide rationale to consider a broader scope of physiological and psychosocial parameters to predict outcomes of CABG surgery.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Department of physiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosayebi
authors.forename: Shaghayegh Haghjooy
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Javanmard
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirmohamadsadeghi
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajabi
authors.forename: Samaneh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mostafavi
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mansourian