Does cardiac rehabilitation improve left ventricular diastolic function of patients with acute myocardial infarction?

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to observe the effect of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). STUDY DESIGN: 82 patients were enrolled the study; 42 who were participating in a CR program, and 40 who did not maintain the program as a control group. Measurements of mitral inflow included the peak early filling (E-wave) and late diastolic filling (A-wave) velocities, the E/A ratio, deceleration time (DT) of early filling velocity and mitral A-wave duration. The early diastolic annular velocity has been expressed as e' with PW tissue Doppler imaging. The mitral inflow E velocity to tissue Doppler e' (E/e') was calculated and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) was measured. Measurements of pulmonary venous waveforms included peak systolic (S) velocity, peak anterograde diastolic (D) velocity and the time difference between the duration of the atrial reversal (Ar) and mitral A-wave duration (Ar-A). RESULTS: E/A and septal e' were better with the CR group than the control group. (p=0.048 vs p=0.006 respectively). The difference between E/e' measurements were not statistically significant (p=0.138). The left ventricular diastolic function of patients were partially improved with cardiac rehabilitation. There was no association between infarct-related artery (IRA) and diastolic functional measurements of the left ventricle in the individuals. Only hypertension was found significantly associated with E/A (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: CR improves septal e' and E/A significantly in patients with AMI and revascularized successfully by PCI, especially in those with hypertension.