Attending a phase III cardiac rehabilitation program 3 times per week was associated with greater improvement in peak workload (17.0 vs 7.3 W, p=0.002) at 1 year compared to less frequent attendance.
Cohort (n=99)
No
Does a phase III cardiac rehabilitation program improve functional capacity and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease?
Phase III cardiac rehabilitation provides sustained 1-year improvements in physical function, exercise capacity, and quality of life, particularly in younger patients and those attending more frequently.
Absolute Event Rate: 17% vs 7.3%
p-value: p=0.002
Abstract Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a cornerstone of secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, improving functional capacity, quality of life (QoL), and long-term outcomes. While the benefits of phase II CR are well established, evidence on the impact of phase III, long-term maintenance exercise-based programs remains limited. Purpose To evaluate the effects of a maintenance phase III CR program on functional capacity and QoL over 1 year and to identify factors influencing patient outcomes. Methods Single-center prospective cohort study including CVD patients enrolled in a phase III supervised exercise-based community CR program (2-3x per week, combined training, 60 min.). Clinical data, cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) results, and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) responses were collected at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Results Our cohort included 99 patients (79.8% male; mean age 61.1 ± 10.2 years, 15.1% type II diabetes). The majority (85.9%) were referred following an acute coronary syndrome, with the remainder enrolled for heart failure. Most participants (86.7%) attended phase III sessions 3 times/week. Analysis of the QoL revealed significant improvements at 1-year follow-up, including general health (59.6 ± 17.8 to 63.7 ± 20.2, p=0.005), role-physical (77.5 ± 34.2 to 84.9 ± 29.0, p=0.028), physical functioning (79.2 ± 17.3 to 84.7 ± 16.8, p0.001), and physical component summary score (49.5 ± 9.5 to 51.6 ± 9.7, p=0.008). Conversely, the bodily pain score decreased significantly (78.1 ± 20.7 to 74.1 ± 23.6, p=0.049). Attending the program 3 times/week, was associated with greater improvement in peak workload (17.0±21.5 vs 7.3±15.4 W, p=0.002) and peak VO2 (1.7±3.4 vs 0.5±3.2 mL/kg/min, p=0.046) at 1 year, while QoL outcomes improved similarly between the two groups. Younger patients ( 62 years) showed greater gains in general health (5 0,16 vs 0 -7,10, p=0.016) and mental health (4 0, 8 vs 0 -8, 8, p=0.046), as well as in CPET performance, including peak workload (20.0±23.8 vs. 10.2±16.2 W, p=0.003) and peak VO2 (2.1±3.9 vs. 0.8±2.8 mL/kg/min, p=0.023). Mental and physical summary scores were similar between age groups. Diabetic patients showed worsening in physical functioning (–5 -15, 5 vs. 5 0, 15, p=0.032) and social functioning (–9.2±16.1 vs. 2.2±14.8; p=0.008), as well as a smaller improvement in the mental component summary score (–3 -6, -1 vs. +1 -4, +5; p=0.038). Both diabetic and non-ischemic patients demonstrated significantly less improvement in peak workload on CPET (5 0, 17 vs. 12W 1, 25, p=0.055; 0 -9, 14.3 vs 11W 2, 25, p=0.01, respectively). Conclusions Phase III CR provides meaningful long-term benefits in physical function, exercise capacity, and QoL. Regular participation supports sustained improvements, particularly in younger patients, while certain high-risk groups may need tailored approaches.
Silva et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Cardiovascular disease (n=99). Phase III cardiac rehabilitation program vs. Less frequent attendance was evaluated on Improvement in peak workload (W) at 1 year (p=0.002). Attending a phase III cardiac rehabilitation program 3 times per week was associated with greater improvement in peak workload (17.0 vs 7.3 W, p=0.002) at 1 year compared to less frequent attendance.
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