title: The impact of short-term cardiac rehabilitation on changing dietary habits in patients after acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether short-term cardiac rehabilitation (CR), including dietary counseling, had an impact on changing eating habits in patients after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The controlled, prospective, nonrandomized study was performed on 44 patients, early following ACS/PCI, who underwent 2- to 3-week inpatient CR with dietary counseling and compared to 18 patients who did not participate in CR. An analysis of the daily diet composition was performed at baseline, at 3 months post-ACS, and at 1 year post-ACS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the CR group, comparing baseline with 3 months post-ACS, daily calorie intake was significantly reduced from a mean ± SD of 2260 ± 525 kcal to 2037 ± 514 kcal (P < .05), and daily cholesterol intake from 509 ± 237 to 394 ± 199 mg (P < .05). The daily energy intake of saturated fatty acids was also significantly reduced from 13.6% at baseline to 12.2 ± 4.5% at 3 months and further reduced at 1 year post-ACS to 10.2 ± 4.3% (P < .05). Although both groups exhibited increased body mass index, the increase was significantly greater in the nonrehabilitation group than in the CR group at 1 year post-ACS (2.61 ± 2.23 vs 0.86 ± 1.67 kg/m, respectively, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis suggests that a short-term CR program following ACS, which includes educational meetings on dietary prevention of atherosclerosis, may result in some favorable and lasting modifications of eating habits of post-ACS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, University School of Physical Education, Poznan, Poland. sbienkowska@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Slawomira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borowicz-Bienkowska
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deskur-Smielecka
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maleszka
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Przywarska
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: Lucja
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pilaczynska-Szczesniak
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dylewicz
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome