Effect of short-term exercise training in patients following acute myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.
BACKGROUND
Exercise-based rehabilitation is an important part of treatment patients following acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, data are scarce on the efffects of short-term exercise programs in patients with acute MI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of short-term exercise training on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters in patients suffering acute MI treated with PPCI.


METHODS
Observational longitudinal study.


METHODS
Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation.


METHODS
Sixty consecutive patients with MI treated with PPCI referred for rehabilitation.


METHODS
We studied 60 consecutive patients with MI treated with PPCI reffered for rehabilitation to our institution. The study population consisted of 54 men and 6 women (age 52.0±8.4 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 54.1±8.1%), who participated in a 3-week clinical cardiac rehabilitation program. The program consisted of cycling for 7 times/week, and daily walking for 45 minutes at an intensity of 70-80% of the individual maximal heart rate. All patients performed symptom-limited CPET on a bicycle ergometer with a ramp protocol of 10 w/min. The CPET was also performed after cardiac rehabilitation programs.


RESULTS
After 3 weeks of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program improved exercise tolerance as compared to baseline (peak workload 119.28±20.45 vs. 104.35±22.01 watts, respectively, P<0.001), as well as peak respiratory exchage ratio (1.10±0.14 vs. 1.04±0.01, respectively, P<0.001). Peak heart rate at rest, peak and after 1 minute of rest were also improved. Most importantly, peak VO2 (19.27±4.16 vs. 17.27±3.34 ml/kg/min, respectively, P<0.001), peak VCO2 (1.83±0.38 vs. 1.58±0.30, respectively, P<0.001), peak ventilatory exchange (53.73±12.47 vs. 45.50±11.32 L/min, respectively, P<0.001) and peak breathing reserve (55.20±12.36 vs. 60.18±14.19%, respectively, P<0.001) were also improved. No major adverse cardiac events were noted during the rehabilitation program.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that short-term exercise training in patients with acute MI treated with PPCI is safe and improves functional capacity, as well as test duration, work load and heart rate response.


CONCLUSIONS
It appears that three week cardiac rehabilitation is an effective approach to improve exercise capacity in patients with acute MI treated with PPCI.
Institute for Rehabilitation, Belgrade, Serbia - mojsijean@gmail.com.
Mojsije
M
Andjic
Dejan
D
Spiroski
Olivera
O
Ilic Stojanovic
Tijana
T
Vidakovic
Milica
M
Lazovic
Dragan
D
Babic
Arsen
A
Ristic
Sanja
S
Mazic
Marija
M
Zdravkovic
Petar
P
Otasevic
D001642:Bicycling; D004452:Echocardiography; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D016138:Walking