Traditional vs Extended Hybrid Cardiac Rehabilitation Based on the Continuous Care Model for Patients Who Have Undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in a Middle-Income Country: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare traditional (1-month supervised) vs hybrid cardiac rehabilitation (CR; usual care) with an additional 3 months offered remotely based on the continuous care model (intervention) in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial, with blinded outcome assessment. SETTING: A major heart center in a middle-income country. PARTICIPANTS: Of 107 eligible patients who were referred to CR during the period of study, 82.2% (N=88) were enrolled (target sample size). Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 (concealed; 44 per parallel arm). There was 92.0% retention. INTERVENTIONS: After CR, participants were given a mobile application and communicated biweekly with the nurse from months 1-4 to control risk factors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality of life (QOL, Short Form-36, primary outcome); functional capacity (treadmill test); and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were evaluated pre-CR, after 1 month, and 3 months after CR (end of intervention), as well as rehospitalization. RESULTS: The analysis of variance interaction effects for the physical and mental component summary scores of QOL were <.001, favoring intervention (per protocol); there were also significant increases from pre-CR to 1 month, and from 1 month to the final assessment in the intervention arm (P<.001), with change in the control arm only to 1 month. The effect sizes were 0.115 and 0.248, respectively. Similarly, the interaction effect for functional capacity was significant (P<.001), with a clinically significant 1.5 metabolic equivalent of task increase in the intervention arm. There were trends for group effects for the psychosocial indicators, with paired t tests revealing significant increases in each at both assessment points in the intervention arm. At 4 months, there were 4 (10.3%) rehospitalizations in the control arm and none in intervention (P=.049). Intended theoretical mechanisms were also affected by the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Extending CR in this accessible manner, rendering it more comprehensive, was effective in improving outcomes.

Preoperative Anxiety and Depression Increases the Incidence of Delirium After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

PURPOSE: To address the effect of anxiety and depression before coronary artery bypass graft surgery on the postoperative delirium and the length of hospitalization. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: The anxiety and depression before surgery was measured using the 14-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The main outcome of interest was delirium, which was assessed at baseline and then on the second, third, fourth, and fifth days after surgery, using the nine-item Neecham Confusion Scale. The incidence of delirium was compared in the positive group (153 patients with anxiety and depression at baseline) versus the negative group (153 patients without anxiety and depression at baseline). FINDINGS: There was a significant difference between the mean score of delirium in the two groups on the second, third, fourth, and fifth days after surgery (P = .001). The incidence of mild and moderate/severe delirium was significantly higher in the positive group than in the negative group for the entire length of follow-up (P = .001). The average length of hospitalization was nearly the same in the two groups (P = .156). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that anxiety and depression before coronary artery bypass graft surgery can significantly increase the incidence of postoperative delirium, but it has no significant effect on the length of hospitalization.

Comparing the effect of the Model of Therapeutic Engagement in cardiac rehabilitation on the sense of coherence and adherence to treatment: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a traditional cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program with an enhanced program incorporating the model of therapeutic engagement (MTE) and extended remote support for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, 88 CABG patients were assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received integrated MTE cardiac rehabilitation, and assessments were conducted at three time points: pre-CR, one month later, and three months post-CR. The study measured medication adherence (MARS-5) and sense of coherence (SoC-13) scales. RESULTS: The study found no significant differences in demographic factors between the experimental and control groups. However, significant differences were observed in MARS and individuals' SoC scores over time in the experimental group, with notable improvements (p < 0.001). The control group showed significant changes only up to one month. Group effects were evident, with consistent increases in the experimental group's outcomes at each assessment point. CONCLUSION: Integrating the MTE into CR programs offers benefits in terms of medication adherence and individuals' sense of coherence, which warrants further investigation and clinical implementation.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recognized as one of the most effective interventions for secondary prevention, but its accessibility is limited in middle-income countries (MICs).This study represents one of the first theoretically-informed CR trials in a MIC that incorporates the model of therapeutic engagement (MTE) combined with extended remote support services into CR program.The MTE model, as a theoretical framework, was highly suitable for CR settings and demonstrated favorable outcomes.This approach has the potential to greatly benefit cardiac patients, particularly those who may initially show hesitance or reluctance towards engaging in CR.

Predictors of Premature Mortality Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: An Iranian Single-Centre Study.

Modifiable risk factors play an important role in the premature mortality among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The aim of this study was to examine the factors that influence the early death of patients who had CABG. We conducted a prospective cohort study and followed 2863 patients after their CABG, and collected data on their characteristics and blood tests. We used the Cox proportional hazards regression model in Stata, version 16, to identify the predictors of early mortality. Out of 2863 patients, 162 died during the follow-up period. The survival rate was 99.2% within the first three days after the surgery, 96.2% from the fourth day to the end of the first year, 94.9% at the end of the second year, and 93.6% at the end of the third year. After adjusting for confounding factors, we found that older age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% CI 1.02, 1.08 for one year increase in age), obesity (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.25, 3.72), ejection fraction < 50% (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.06, 2.44), number of rehospitalizations (HR 2.63, 95% CI 1.35, 5.12 for two or more readmissions), history of stroke (HR 2.91, 95% CI 1.63, 5.21), living in rural areas (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.06, 2.34), opium use (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.40, 3.09), and impaired glomerular filtration rate increased the risk of early death after CABG, while taking a beta-blocker (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38, 0.91) reduced the risk. We conclude that modifiable risk factors such as excess body mass, high blood glucose, opium use, and kidney dysfunction should be monitored and managed in patients who had CABG to improve their survival outcomes.