ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia plays a strong role in coronary heart disease and is the second major risk factor in Isfahan, Iran. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on serum lipids. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The group of 120 patients. Suffering from myocardial infarction or undergone surgery divided into two groups of 60 each. Sixty patients participated in cardiac rehabilitation programme with 24 exercise sessions (45-60 min/session) with dietary and psychiatric consultation. Other group of 60 acted as control. The 14 hours footing blood samples were analysed pre-intervention and eight weeks post-intervension for total cholesterol (T.chol) triglycerides (TG), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). RESULTS: T.chol, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C was normal in 21 (35%), 18 (30%), 41 (68%) and 40 (66%) respectively after eight weeks in intervension group. T.chol, TG and LDL-C was decreased in 42 (70%), 36 (62%) and 46 (76%) of patient respectively in intervension group HDL-C showed increase in 52 (86%) patients. A 20 mg, 56 and 30 mg/dl reduction in T.chol, TG and LDL-C was noted after eight weeks intervention respectively. There was 0.8 reduction in LDL-C/HDL-C (P < 0.05) and 5 mg/dl increase in serum HDL-C (P < 0.05) of intervention group vs. control group. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in T.chol, TG and LDL-C and increase in HDL-C in all patients and normalization of lipid profile in most of them shows the importance of rehabilitation in cardiac patients and the need for its continuity.
