A single acute bout of aerobic exercise reduced anxiety in 42% of patients with coronary heart disease, with higher baseline anxiety being the only predictor of this reduction.
Observational (n=118)
Does a single, acute bout of aerobic exercise reduce state anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease and elevated anxiety?
In patients with coronary heart disease and elevated anxiety, a single bout of aerobic exercise reduces anxiety in approximately 42% of individuals, primarily those with higher baseline anxiety levels.
PURPOSE: To explore individual differences in state anxiety following a single, acute bout of aerobic exercise among anxious patients with diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: One hundred eighteen CHD patients with elevated symptoms of anxiety enrolled in the UNderstanding the Benefits of Exercise and Escitalopram in Anxious Patients WIth coroNary Heart Disease (UNWIND) clinical trial rated their level of anxiety using a 100-mm visual analog scale before and after a symptom-limited exercise treadmill test. A number of exercise (eg, peak oxygen uptake, exercise duration, maximum heart rate, anaerobic threshold) and psychological variables were examined as potential predictors of exercise response. Changes in anxiety and their association with psychological variables were examined using general linear models. RESULTS: Fifty patients (42%) rated a reduction in anxiety relative to their pre-exercise ratings following the exercise treadmill test. While a number of factors were examined, the only factor that distinguished those individuals who reported a reduction in anxiety symptoms compared with those who either remained the same or actually reported an increase in anxiety was a higher pre-exercise visual analog scale anxiety rating. No differences were observed as a function of sex, severity of trait anxiety, the presence of an anxiety disorder, exercise test duration, or age. CONCLUSIONS: Although many variables were examined, only higher baseline anxiety distinguished those who showed a reduction in their visual analog scale ratings from those whose anxiety remained the same or got worse. The extent to which the response to acute exercise predicts the anxiolytic effects of chronic exercise needs further study.
Malian et al. (Mon,) conducted a observational in Coronary heart disease with elevated anxiety (n=118). Acute bout of aerobic exercise (symptom-limited exercise treadmill test) was evaluated on Reduction in anxiety relative to pre-exercise ratings on a 100-mm visual analog scale. A single acute bout of aerobic exercise reduced anxiety in 42% of patients with coronary heart disease, with higher baseline anxiety being the only predictor of this reduction.