Abstract

ARAYA-RAMIREZ, Felipe et al. Influencia de la Capacidad Funcional Inicial en Marcadores Fisiológicos después de un Programa de Rehabilitación Cardiaca. Rev. costarric. cardiol [online]. 2013, vol.15, n.1, pp.05-11. ISSN 1409-4142.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity in Costa Rica, while cardiac rehabilitation program (CRP) participation counters CAD and improves functional exercise capacity. Although the benefits of CRP are well established, the impact of baseline fitness changes on post-rehabilitation functional capacity is less well defined. Functional capacity can be assess measuring the distance obtained in the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) can be also estimated based on this test. Purpose: To retrospectively examine the effect of baseline functional exercise capacity on 12- week CRP outcomes in patients with CAD. Methods: One hundred and twelve cardiac patients (age = 58.5 ± 12 years; height = 1.67 ± 0.8 m; weight = 75.2 ± 11.9 kg; BMI = 26.8 ± 3.7 kg/m2; waist circumference = 95.9 ± 8.9 cm; VO2max = 13.9 ± 5.2 ml/kg/min) from the National University of Costa Rica completed a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) before and after a 12-week CRP. VO2max was estimated from 6MWT sub-maximal exercise performances. Patients were grouped into tertiles based on their initial 6MWT performances and VO2max estimates, and examined for post-rehabilitation outcome differences. Between group differences were examined by one-way ANOVA, p ≤ 0.05 a priori. Results: Patients improved significantly (P <0.001) in the 6MWT by 34% from (404 ± 99 to 543 ± 93 m, P <0.001); in VO2max by 26% (13.9 ± 5.2 to 17.5 ± 5.4 ml/kg/min, P <0.001), and in walking speed by 36% (2.5 ± 0.6 to 3.4 ± 0.6 mph, P <0.001). Resting systolic blood pressure was reduced by 3.7 % (109 ± 18 to 105 ± 14 mmHg, P =0.031), and waist circumference was decreased by 1% (95.9 ± 8.9 to 94.9 ± 8.9 cm, P =0.033). Patients in the lowest initial 6MWT tertile exhibited greater improvement in the 6MWT than those in the highest tertile (59.4 ± 46 vs. 18.8 ± 12.9, P <0.001). Likewise, patients in the lowest initial VO2max estimate tertile demonstrated greater improvement in the post-rehabilitation VO2max than those in the highest tertile (44.4 ± 4.3 vs. 14 ± 5.2, P <0.001). Conclusions: Results from this study are consistent with previous studies on functional capacity and walking speed improvements after a 12-week CRP. Patients in the lowest baseline tertile for functional exercise capacity demonstrated the largest improvement in post-rehabilitation testing performance.

Keywords : Cardiac Rehabilitation; functional capacity; six-minute walk test.

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