title: Resistance and balance training improves functional capacity in very old participants attending cardiac rehabilitation after coronary bypass surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of intensive functional exercise training with that of usual cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in very old adults soon after coronary bypass surgery (CABG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-hospital CR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals aged 75 and older (n = 173, mean 78.5 ± 3.2) participated in inpatient CR, which started soon after surgery (13.1 ± 5.3 days) and lasted for a mean of 20.4 ± 3.2 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned to an inpatient CR intervention group (IG; n = 84) or a control group (CG; n = 89). All participants participated in the inpatient CR program. In addition, IG participants participated in resistance training and special balance training (5 d/wk).
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-minute walk test, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, Timed-Up-and-Go Test (TUG), and a maximal isometric strength test were used to access functional capacity and the MacNew questionnaire to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant improvements (P < .001) in all measured variables over the duration of CR. Improvements in functional capacity were significantly greater in the IG than the CG for 6-minute walk distance (6-MWD) (IG Δ 67.3 ± 49.0 m vs CG Δ 41.9 ± 51.7 m; P = .003), TUG time (IG Δ -2.4 ± 2.2 seconds vs CG Δ -1.2 ± 3.4 seconds; P = .005), and relative workload (IG Δ 0.19 ± 0.21 W/kg vs CG Δ 0.13 ± 0.11 W/kg; P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were significant improvements in all measured variables in very old adults participating in CR soon after CABG. With additional functional exercise training, participants randomized to IG improved significantly more than those randomized to CG on 6-MWD, TUG time, and relative workload.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany. jobusch@gmx.de
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lillou
authors.forename: Godehard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wittig
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: Detlev
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Willemsen
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oldridge
authors.forename: Birna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bjarnason-Wehrens
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010809:Physical Fitness; D004856:Postural Balance; D011788:Quality of Life; D055070:Resistance Training