The Necessity for a Complete Cardiac Rehabilitation Program to Achieve Better Improvement in Physical Function and Cardiac Parameters

Background:Uncompleted Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) schedule may lead to recurrence of cardiac events and its-related re-hospitalization, decreased quality of life and increased risk of co-morbidities. Current study came to address the effects of a complete exercise-based CR program on physical function and cardiac parameters to clarify whether different sessions could result in better health condition. Methods: Data were collected prospectively on 16 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery and enrolled in an exercise-based CR program. The charts of the patients who attended 10 sessions of CR were reviewed as the case group (n = 8) and those who participated in at least 20 sessions of program were reviewed as the control group (n = 8). Both groups received services of a multi-disciplinary CR and cardiac parameters were measured at baseline, as well as at the completion of 10 and 20 sessions. Results: It was revealed significant increases from baseline to follow-up for metabolic equivalents in both groups after attending CR programs; however increases of this index were higher following 20 sessions adjusted for baseline characteristics. Resting heart rate was significantly decrease in the group underwent completed CR program in the presence of main confounders; however this parameter was significantly unchanged in another group. Conclusion: Participation in complete CR program is necessary to make achieving optimal improvement in vital indices such as metabolic equivalents and resting heart rate and therefore incomplete CR sessions may not warrant this efficacy.