title: The Effects of Unsupervised Home-based Exercise Upon Functional Capacity After 6 Months of Discharge From Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Observational Study.
abstract: It remains unclear whether self-regulated exercise is sufficient to maintain the benefits acquired during formal cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This retrospective observational study investigated the effects of a home-based exercise intervention after discharge from CR upon anthropometric and aerobic capacity markers in clinically stable patients.
  
  
  
  Fifty patients with cardiovascular disease were discharged after 6 months of CR and encouraged to maintain aerobic exercise without supervision. Subsequent to 6 months of follow-up, patients were assigned to compliant (n = 34) or noncompliant (n = 16) groups according to their compliance to the home-based program. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO2peak) and anthropometric data were assessed before CR, at discharge, and after 6 months of follow-up.
  
  
  
  No statistical differences between compliant and noncompliant groups were observed at baseline and at discharge from CR. At the end of the follow-up, statistical differences across groups were not found for body mass or body mass index, but increases in VO2peak (+3.6 vs. -0.6 ml/kg·min, P = 0.004) and oxygen pulse (+1.5 vs. +0.2 ml/bpm, P = .03) were greater in compliant than noncompliant group.
  
  
  
  Self-regulated exercising following CR discharge seems to be effective to maintain gains in exercise capacity acquired during supervised center-based programs.
authors.forename: Juliana Pereira
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Mauro Felippe Felix
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mediano
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farinatti
authors.forename: Marina Pereira
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Pablo Marino Correa
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Gabriella de Oliveira
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Daniel Arkader
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kopiler
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tibiriçá
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001938:Brazil; D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: cardiovascular health; exercise physiology