title: Supervised Phase II Cardiac Exercise Therapy Shortens the Recovery of Exercise Capacity in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.
abstract: [Purpose] To investigate the effects of Phase II cardiac exercise therapy (CET) on exercise capacity and changes in coronary risk factors (CRFs) of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). [Subjects] Thirty male subjects with AMI were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Another 30 age-matched subjects with patent coronary arteries served as a normal-control group (NCG). [Methods] Subjects in EG (n=20) trained using a stationary bicycle for 30 min at their target heart rate twice a week for 8 weeks. Exercise capacity was defined as the maximal metabolic equivalents (METs) that subjects reached during the symptom-limited maximal exercise test. HR, BP and RPP were recorded. Subjects in EG and CG received exercise tests and screening for CRFs at the beginning of, end of, and 3 months after Phase II CET, while subjects in NCG participated only in the 1st test. [Results] METs of CG did not improve until the 3rd test, while RPP at the 2nd test showed a significant increase. However, EG showed increased METs at the 2nd test without increase of RPP, and increased their high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) during the follow-up period between the 2nd and 3rd tests. [Conclusion] Phase II CET shortens the recovery time of exercise capacity, helps to maintain the gained exercise capacity and increases HDL-C in phase III.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tzu-Chi Medical Center, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ji-Hung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tzu-Chi Medical Center, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jen-Che
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Cheng
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Zu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Physical Education Office, National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tung-Wei
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: Exercise capacity; Patent coronary artery; Phase II CET