Completing cardiac rehabilitation post-ACS reduced cardiovascular events from 18.5% to 7% and increased event-free survival from 48 to 65 months (p=0.02).
Does completing a cardiac rehabilitation program reduce cardiovascular events in patients following acute coronary syndrome?
Completing a cardiac rehabilitation program after acute coronary syndrome is associated with a significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular events and longer event-free survival.
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Abstract Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) plays a vital role in secondary prevention for individuals recovering from acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Participation in CR programs has been associated with reduced risk of readmission and death. However, adherence to CR remains suboptimal. This study aims to evaluate the occurrence of cardiovascular events (CV) in patients who completed a CR program after ACS compared to those who did not. Methods This retrospective study analysed data from patients enrolled in a CR program after ACS between 2018 and 2022 at our centre. Patients were divided into two groups based on CR completion status: those who completed the program and those who did not. We assessed the incidence of CV events (ACS, hospitalization for heart failure, all-cause mortality, and repeat revascularization) during the follow-up period (a minimum of 1 year). Additionally, we evaluated the final metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved by the patients who completed the program. Results A total of 168 patients were included. Of these, 114 patients (68%) completed the program, while 54 patients (32%) did not complete the program. The median of follow-up period was 24 17;28 months. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in the baseline characteristics, except in the history of smoking (p = 0.03), with a higher proportion of smokers in the group that did not complete the CR program (76% vs 59%). Regarding the group that completed CR program, there was a statistical association between the final METs and the occurrence of CV events (p=0.03). Patients who completed the CR program experienced significantly fewer cardiovascular events compared to those who did not complete the program (7% vs 18.5%, p=0.02). In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the mean event-free survival time was 65 months for patients who completed the CR program and 48 months for patients who did not complete the CR program, with statistically significant difference (Log-Rank p 0.001). Conclusion This study demonstrates that completing a cardiac rehabilitation program following acute coronary syndrome is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events. Additionally, higher final METs achieved during CR were linked to fewer cardiovascular events. These findings emphasize the importance of CR in secondary prevention and the need to improve adherence to CR programs.
Silva et al. (Sat,) reported a other. Completing cardiac rehabilitation post-ACS reduced cardiovascular events from 18.5% to 7% and increased event-free survival from 48 to 65 months (p=0.02).