Cardiac rehabilitation in African Americans: evidence for poorer outcomes compared with whites, especially in women and diabetic participants.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves coronary artery disease risk factors and mortality. Outcomes after CR in African Americans (AAs) compared with whites have not been studied extensively. METHODS: A total of 1,096 patients (169 AAs, 927 whites) were enrolled in a 36-session CR program for ischemic heart disease or postcardiac surgery. The program consisted of exercise, lifestyle modification, and pharmacotherapy. RESULTS: After CR, quality of life, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol improved significantly in both AAs and whites, although to a lesser degree in AAs. Whites also had significant improvements in weight and triglyceride concentrations. Overall, mean peak exercise capacity, measured in metabolic equivalents (METs), improved by only 1.6 (95% CI 1.3-1.8) in AAs compared with 2.4 (2.3-2.6) in CCs (P< .001 for AAs vs CCs). African American women had the least improvement in METs, but changes were still significant (1.1 [CI 0.9-1.4]). The subgroup with the least improvement in METs was AA diabetic patients (1.4 (CI 1.1-1.7]). CONCLUSION: African Americans derive a significant benefit from CR, but not to the same degree as whites, based on changes in risk factors and in exercise capacity. Within both ethnic groups, both women and diabetic patients appeared to have markedly less improvement.

Reproducibility of the 6-minute walk test for ambulatory oxygen prescription.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory oxygen is frequently prescribed for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have oxygen desaturation

Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease and Supplemental Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Use on Exercise Levels During Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

PURPOSE: The correlation between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increased cardiovascular disease-related mortality is well established. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves exercise capacity, quality of life, and risk factors in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Data on the benefits of CR in patients with CKD are sparse. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes after CR in patients with CAD but normal renal function, versus those with CAD and CKD. METHODS: We studied 804 patients with CAD entering an exercise-based CR program. Demographics, risk factors, exercise capacity in metabolic equivalent levels (METs), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were recorded before and after the 3-month CR program. Use of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was determined by medical records review. Stage III-V CKD (GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m) was present in 170 patients at baseline. RESULTS: After CR, METs improved in all patients, although increases in patients with a GFR 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m (Δ1.6) and a GFR <30 (Δ1.2) were smaller than those in patients with a GFR ≥60 (Δ2.6, P < .05 vs GFR 30-59 and GFR <30). In patients with a GFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m, PUFA use was associated with a 20% greater increase in MET levels compared with nonusers (Δ3.0 vs Δ2.5, P = .02); and in patients with a GFR 30 to 59, PUFA use was associated with 30% increase in MET level compared with nonusers (Δ2.0 vs Δ1.4, P = .03). These observations persisted after multivariable adjustment for baseline MET level, demographics, and risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Potential mitigation by PUFA of the smaller improvement in exercise capacity with decreasing GFR requires confirmation in prospective randomized trials.

Degree and Direction of Change of Body Weight in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Impact on Exercise Capacity and Cardiac Risk Factors.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves functional capacity and reduces mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. It also improves cardiovascular risk factors and aids in weight reduction. Because of the increase in morbidly obese patients with cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of obesity and patterns of weight change in those undergoing CR merit fresh study. We studied 1,320 participants in a 12-week CR program at our academic medical center. We compared 5 categories: 69 class III obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥40) patients, 128 class II obese patients (BMI 35.0 to 39.9), 318 class I obese patients (BMI 30.0 to 34.9), 487 overweight patients (BMI 25.0 to 29.9), and 318 normal weight patients (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Exercise capacity in METs, weight, blood pressure, and fasting lipid profile were measured before and after CR. Overall, 131 patients gained weight, 827 had no significant weight change, and 363 lost weight (176 lost 3% to 5% of their baseline weight, 161 lost 5% to 10%, and 26 lost >10%). Exercise capacity, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol improved in all patients. Class III obese patients had the smallest improvement in peak METs (p <0.001), but the greatest weight loss. Patients who lost >10% of their baseline weight had the greatest improvements in exercise capacity, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. In conclusion, after CR, a minority of patients lost weight. Most patients had no significant weight change and some even gained weight. The greatest loss was seen in class III obese patients. All patient groups showed improvements in exercise capacity and risk factors, regardless of the direction or degree of weight change.

Effect of early enrollment on outcomes in cardiac rehabilitation.

Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is most beneficial when delivered 1 to 3 weeks after the index cardiac event. The effects of delayed enrollment on subsequent outcomes are unclear. A total of 1,241 patients were enrolled in CR after recent (<1 year) treatment of cardiac events or postcardiac surgery. Risk factors and metabolic equivalent levels (METs) during aerobic exercise were calculated before and after CR. The mean CR delay time was 34 days (maximum of 327). Delay time >30 days was associated with older age, female gender, nonwhite race, being unemployed, and increased length of hospital stay before CR after index cardiac event (p <0.05 vs 0 to 15 and 16 to 30 days for all comparisons). Patients with delay time >30 days had significant improvements in all CR metrics, but peak METs and weight improvements were lesser in magnitude compared with patients with CR delay times 0 to 15 and 16 to 30 days. After multivariate adjustment, delay time >30 days remained an independent predictor of decreased MET improvement compared with delay time 0 to 15 days (ß = -0.59, p <0.001). In conclusion, time to enrollment in CR varies substantially and is independently linked to demographics and length of index hospital stay. Delayed enrollment in CR is directly related to patient outcomes. Although all patients showed improvements in key metrics regardless of delay time, CR was of greatest benefit, particularly for weight and exercise capacity, when initiated within 15 days of the index event.

Comparison of usefulness of secondary prevention of coronary disease in patients <80 versus ≥80 years of age.

The population older than 80 years is increasing but data on prevention of coronary disease in this age group are sparse. The present study compared the improvement in quality of life, lipid profile, blood pressure, weight, and physical performance after cardiac rehabilitation in patients <80 versus ≥80 years of age. A total of 1,112 patients, of whom 79 were older than 80 years, entered a 36-session outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program after interventions for coronary heart disease. The program consisted of physical exercise, lifestyle modification, and pharmacotherapy. Quality of life improved by 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6 to 2.0) in octogenarians and 1.8 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.1) in younger patients (p = 0.21), whereas weight decreased by 1.7 lbs (95% CI -2.9 to -0.4) and 3.1 lbs (95% CI -3.6 to -2.5, p = 0.04), respectively. In hypertensive patients, systolic blood pressure decreased from 155 ± 11 to 133 ± 20 mm Hg in octogenarians versus 155 ± 13 to 130 ± 20 mm Hg in younger patients, reducing the prevalence of hypertension to approximately 10% in both groups. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased by 16 mg/dl (95% CI -27 to -5) versus 19 mg/dl (95% CI -22 to -16), increasing the percentage of patients at recommended goals from 32% to 46% in the elderly (p = 0.04) and from 18% to 30% in younger patients (p <0.001). Metabolic equivalent levels increased by 1.0 (95% CI 0.7 to 1.3) in octogenarians versus 2.4 (95% CI 2.2 to 2.5) in younger patients (p <0.001). In conclusion, patients ≥80 years of age in an active secondary prevention program derive a significant benefit in well being, risk factors, and exercise capacity and should not be denied such treatment because of age.