title: [Effects of long-term exercise training on left ventricular function and remodeling in patients with anterior wall myocardial infarction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of long-term exercise training on the function and remodeling of the left ventricle after myocardial infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 90 patients with a first acute anterior-wall myocardial infarction, all received conventional medical treatment. Symptom-limited maximal exercise stress tests, echocardiograms and effort-rest isotopic ventriculographies at 2, 6 and 12 months after myocardial infarction were performed; the follow-up time averaged 36.3±17 months. All patients joined a cardiac rehabilitation program with moderate or intense exercise training lasting at least a year. Of all patients, 41.1% suffered severe left ventricle dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ergometric parameters that expressed functional capacity increased significantly (P<.0005) at the sixth month evaluation and remained unchanged after a year. There was significant decrease (P<.01) of exercise myocardial ischemia at 6 months. The variables that measured size and function of left ventricle did not change during evolution. Morbidity amounted to 16.7% and total mortality of the series was 13.3%, with 8.9% of cardiovascular cause.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term exercise training showed no deleterious effects on left ventricle function or remodeling and beneficial functional and clinical effects were obtained in these rehabilitated postinfarction patients.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Rehabilitación, Instituto de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular, La Habana, Cuba. Electronic address: erivas@infomed.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rivas-Estany
authors.forename: Sherien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sixto-Fernández
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrera-Sarduy
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernández-García
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-Guerra
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stusser-Beltranena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056988:Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cardiac rehabilitation; Cuba; Ejercicio; Exercise; Infarto cardíaco; Myocardial infarction; Rehabilitación cardíaca; Remodelación; Remodeling