The effect of cardiac rehabilitation program on functional capacity and waist to hip ratio in patients with coronary artery disease: A clinical trial

AIMS: This study aimed to determine the impact of cardiac rehabilitation programs on functional capacity and waist to hip ratio in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. METHODS: In this clinical trial study 70 CAD patients were selected using purposive sampling and based on inclusion criteria. The intervention consisted of a 12-week training and exercise program included walking sessions at home at least three times a week. The 6-min walk test (6MWT) was conducted to measure the functional capacity and waist to hip ratio (WHR), as the anthropometric index, in both groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS 21 using independent t test, paired t test, and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The mean distance traveled in the 6MWT was 297.30 m and 283.55 in intervention and control groups respectively before the intervention. After the intervention, this distance was 509.03 and 389.91 m in intervention and control groups respectively, suggesting a significant difference between the two groups (p < .001). The mean WHR was 0.8648 and 0.8403 in intervention and in control respectively before the intervention. After the intervention, this value became 0.7985 and 0.8555 in intervention and control groups respectively and showed significant difference (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The cardiac rehabilitation program improved the ability of patients in the 6MWT and enhanced their functional capacity and reduced the mean WHR, which in turn evinces the improvement of the anthropometric index and mitigation of risk factors in CAD patients. So, healthcare providers can deploy such rehabilitation programs to empower patients, alleviate disease complications, and reduce individual and social costs of cardiovascular diseases.