Rehabilitation in coronary artery disease: assessment and outcome

ABSTRACT

This study included 69 male patients with corollary artery disease [CAD] of whom 47 were in stable angina pectoris and 22 had myocardial infarction. Thirty matched normal subjects were considered as controls. All the patients were subjected to complete clinical examination and maximal exercise performance was determined using maximum symptom limited progressive exercise test according to Burce et al., [6]. The parameters of VO2 max., HR max., treadmill duration, systolic B.P max., double product of maximal HR and functional aerobic impairment were assessed. The patients were trained on treadmill 3 times per week for 3 months at 70% of predetermined maximal heart rate. The patients were encouraged to do their daily activities and aerobic maintenance activities during the follow up period. The results of this study lead to the conclusion that the 3 months' physical training program prescribed on the basis of symptom limited graded exercise test and maintenance activities led to significant maintained improvement of maximal exercise performance inpatients with CAD. So the use of physical training call be considered as a valuable component in management of these patients