Role of exercise rehabilitation in coronary artery disease patients

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of exercise rehabilitation [high frequency versus low frequency exercises] in improving the functional capacity and quality of life in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Fifty patients with documented manifestations of coronary artery diseases were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group I included 25 patients who were subjected to a six-week high-frequency exercise training program and group II included 25 patients who were subjected to a six-week low-frequency exercise training program. Tests included exercise testing protocol according to the standard protocols of Bruce and assessment of the quality of life. Our results showed that both the high frequency and the low frequency exercise training have led to an improvement in the exercise capacity and the quality of life parameters. The improvement was better in the high frequency exercise training program. this study supports the role of exercise rehabilitation in the management of patients with coronary artery disease. We have found improvement in functional capacity and quality of life in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Beneficial effects of exercise training were evident along the different parameters of cardiac function i.e. exercise capacity, exercise tolerance, hemodynamics of exercise stress test as well as the patient's quality of life. Compared with low frequency exercise, high frequency exercise led to significantly more improvement in functional capacity and quality of life