Phase II cardiac rehabilitation was associated with a significant increase in the SF-36 mental summary measure score from 49.47 to 52.07 (p=0.003).
Cohort (n=65)
No
Does an exercise-based phase II cardiac rehabilitation program improve health-related quality of life in patients post-cardiovascular event?
Phase II cardiac rehabilitation is associated with significant improvements in mental well-being and specific quality of life domains, though not all HRQOL instruments capture these changes.
Mean Difference: 2.6
Absolute Event Rate: 52.07% vs 49.47%
p-value: p=0.003
Abstract Introduction Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) plays a central role in the early post cardiovascular event period, offering structured and supervised care as patients transition from hospital to outpatient management. Its benefits in improving functional capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and morbimortality are well documented. HRQOL reflects the patient's perception of health status, limitations, and symptom burden. Using validated scales to assess HRQOL provides objective measures that support individualized care, guide treatment response, and predict adherence. Purpose To evaluate the impact of a phase II CR program on HRQOL using validated questionnaires. Methods We conducted a single center prospective cohort study of patients enrolled in an exercise-based phase II CR program. Patients completed the following questionnaires at baseline and follow-up: SF-36, Macnew, Perceived stress and Minnesota. Physical and mental summary measures (PSM and MSM) derived from the SF-36 were also analyzed. Results The study enrolled 65 patients (76.9% male; mean age 61.3 ± 11.1 years) with multiple comorbidities, including ischemic cardiomyopathy (81.5%), predominantly single-vessel disease (42.2%), hypertension (55.4%), diabetes (29.3%), dyslipidemia (70.8%), and a history of smoking (52.3%). PSM scores were 46.43 ± 10.43 at baseline and 48.18±9.89 at follow-up, with no statistically significant change. MSM scores increased from 49.47 ± 9.18 to 52.07 ± 7.39 (Δ +2.6 points, p = 0.003). Across the SF-36 domains, improvements were observed in all eight domains, with significant increases in social functioning (+6.4 points, p = 0.002), general health (+12.5 points, p = 0.007) and emotional role limitations (+10.7 points, p = 0.001). No statistically significant changes were found in the MacNew, Perceived Stress, or Minnesota scores. Patients who improved functional capacity (defined as peak VO2 increase 1 mL/kg/min on follow-up CPET) showed a significant improvement in MSM scores. Conclusions Phase II CR was associated with significant improvements in selected domains of HRQOL, particularly in mental well-being and several SF-36 domains. Although some validated questionnaires did not show statistically significant improvement, HRQOL assessment remains essential. Incorporating standardized HRQOL instruments into CR programs may help identify unmet needs, monitor response to therapy, and personalize care to optimize recovery.
Araujo et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Cardiovascular disease requiring cardiac rehabilitation (n=65). Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program vs. Baseline was evaluated on SF-36 mental summary measure (MSM) score (Δ +2.6 points, p=0.003). Phase II cardiac rehabilitation was associated with a significant increase in the SF-36 mental summary measure score from 49.47 to 52.07 (p=0.003).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: