hrvatski

Do Patients with Coronary Heart Disease Older than Seventy Benefit from Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are frequently not referred to cardiac rehabilitation programs. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of 3-week inpatient cardiac rehabilitation in CHD patients older than seventy. The study included 103 consecutive CHD patients older than 70 who underwent 3-week inpatient rehabilitation. A history of myocardial infarction was recorded in 77% of patients, whereas 23% had previously undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The patients who could not perform exercise test or those with congestive heart failure were not included in the study. Functional capacity, lipid profile, blood glucose, body weight and body mass index were determined before and at the end of rehabilitation. After 3-week inpatient cardiac rehabilitation, functional capacity markedly improved (p<0.0001). The levels of cholesterol (p<0.0001), triglycerides (p=0.01), LDL- cholesterol (p<0.0001) and blood glucose (p=0.004) were significantly lower in comparison with initial values. There were no significant differences in HDLcholesterol, body weight and body mass index between initial values and those measured at the end of rehabilitation. Results of the study suggest that elderly patients with CHD benefit from cardiac rehabilitation and should be routinely referred to cardiac rehabilitation and encouraged to attend these programs.

Myocardial infarction, rehabilitation ; Aged ; Aged, 70 and over ; Exercise therapy ; Exercise, tolerance

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