title: Cardiovascular fitness as a predictor of functional recovery in subacute stroke patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between baseline cardiovascular fitness and functional status, and whether baseline cardiovascular fitness is of predictive value in terms of functional recovery after rehabilitation in subacute stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a descriptive, observational cohort study. Fifty-five subacute stroke patients (37 males and 18 females; average age, 62.2 years) were enrolled for this study, and all subjects underwent symptom-limited low-velocity graded treadmill testing. Baseline assessments included cardiovascular fitness, 6-min walk test (6MWT), Korean-Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) and Motricity Index (MI). Four weeks after rehabilitation, K-MBI was measured repeatedly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean peak oxygen consumption (Vo2 peak) was 19.7 ± 6.7 mL/kg/min. Baseline K-MBI correlated significantly with Vo2 peak, peak heart rate (HR), 6MWT and MI, and in regression analysis, Vo2 peak and MI were significant independent predictors of baseline K-MBI. Follow-up K-MBI correlated significantly with Vo2 peak, peak HR, peak rate pressure product, 6MWT, baseline K-MBI and MI, and in linear regression analysis, Vo2 peak and baseline K-MBI were significant independent predictors of follow-up K-MBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that baseline cardiovascular fitness correlates significantly with the baseline functional status, in addition to being an important prognostic factor regarding the functional recovery of subacute stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and.
authors.forename: Bo Ryun
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Seung Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Song Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ho Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation