Associations Between Psychological Factors and Adherence to Health Behaviors After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The Role of Cardiac Rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary heart disease lowers the disease burden and risk of recurrent cardiac events. Examining psychological factors may improve post-PCI health behavior adherence. PURPOSE: To determine whether psychological factors are associated with post-PCI health behavior adherence, and the role of CR participation. METHODS: Data from 1,682 patients (22.1% female, Mage = 64.0, SDage = 10.5 years) from the THORESCI cohort were included. Adjusted mixed models were used to examine associations between psychological factors and the 1-year course of health behaviors, using interactions to test for moderation by CR participation. RESULTS: Psychological factors were associated with the trajectories of adherence to medical advice, exercise, and diet. The strongest association found was between optimism and the trajectory of dietary adherence (B: = -0.09, p = .026). Patients with high optimism levels had a worse trajectory of dietary adherence compared to patients with low to middle optimism levels. Participation in CR buffered the associations of high anxiety, pessimism, and low to middle resilience, but strengthened the associations of high stress in the past year with the probability of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological factors are associated with post-PCI health behavior adherence, but the pattern of associations is complex. Patients with high levels of anxiety, pessimism, and low to middle resilience levels may disproportionately benefit from CR. Cardiac rehabilitation programs could consider this to improve post-PCI health behavior adherence. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION #: NCT02621216.

For patients with coronary heart disease who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) reduces the disease burden and the risk of future cardiac events. However, adherence to the health behaviors targeted in CR could be improved. Using data from 1,682 patients included in the THORESCI study, we explored whether psychological factors could predict health behavior adherence and the role of participation in CR. Results revealed that psychological factors were linked to adherence to medical advice, exercise, and diet. Overall, patients with low to moderate optimism levels exhibited more favorable changes in healthy dietary habits than patients with high levels of optimism. Participation in CR made the link between high anxiety, pessimism, low to moderate resilience, and lower adherence to health behaviors less strong. Cardiac rehabilitation programs could use these results to enhance the health behavior adherence of patients who have undergone PCI.

A survey of the perceptions of barriers to and facilitators of cardiac rehabilitation in healthcare providers and policy stakeholders.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a prognostic management strategy to help patients with CVD achieve a good quality of life and lower the rates of recurrence, readmission, and premature death from disease. Globally, cardiac rehabilitation is poorly established in hospitals and communities. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the discrepancies in the perceptions of the need for CR programs and relevant health policies between directors of hospitals and health policy personnel in South Korea to shed light on the status and to establish practically superior and effective strategies to promote CR in South Korea. METHODS: We sent a questionnaire to 592 public health policy managers and directors of selected hospitals, 132 of whom returned a completed questionnaire (response rate: 22.3%). The participants were categorized into five types of organizations depending on their practice of PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), establishment of cardiac rehabilitation, director of hospital, and government's policy makers. Differences in the opinions between directors of hospitals that perform/do not perform PCI, directors of hospitals with/without cardiac rehabilitation, and between hospital directors and health policy makers were analyzed. RESULTS: Responses about targeting diseases for cardiac rehabilitation, patients' roles in cardiac rehabilitation, hospitals' roles in cardiac rehabilitation, and governmental health policies' roles in cardiac rehabilitation were more positive among hospitals that perform PCI than those that do not. Responses to questions about the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation and hospitals' roles in cardiac rehabilitation tended to be more positive in hospitals with cardiac rehabilitation than in those without. Hospital directors responded more positively to questions about targeting diseases for cardiac rehabilitation and governmental health policies' roles in cardiac rehabilitation than policy makers, and both hospitals and public organizations provided negative responses to the question about patients' roles in cardiac rehabilitation. Responses to questions about targeting diseases for cardiac rehabilitation, patients' roles in cardiac rehabilitation, and governmental health policies' roles in cardiac rehabilitation were more positive in hospitals that perform PCI than those that do not and public organizations. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals must ensure timely referral, provide education, and promote the need for cardiac rehabilitation. In addition, governmental socioeconomic support is needed in a varity of aspects.

Tracking Cardiac Rehabilitation Utilization in Medicare Beneficiaries: 2017 UPDATE.

PURPOSE: This study updates cardiac rehabilitation (CR) utilization data in a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for CR-eligible events in 2017, including stratification by select patient demographics and state of residence. METHODS: We identified Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who experienced a CR-eligible event and assessed their CR participation (≥1 CR sessions in 365 d), engagement, and completion (≥36 sessions) rates through September 7, 2019. Measures were assessed overall, by beneficiary characteristics and state of residence, and by primary (myocardial infarction; coronary artery bypass surgery; heart valve repair/replacement; percutaneous coronary intervention; or heart/heart-lung transplant) and secondary (angina; heart failure) qualifying event type. RESULTS: In 2017, 412 080 Medicare beneficiaries had a primary CR-eligible event and 28.6% completed ≥1 session of CR within 365 d after discharge from a qualifying event. Among beneficiaries who completed ≥1 CR session, the mean total number of sessions was 25 ± 12 and 27.6% completed ≥36 sessions. Nebraska had the highest enrollment rate (56.1%), with four other states also achieving an enrollment rate >50% and 23 states falling below the overall rate for the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The absolute enrollment, engagement, and program completion rates remain low among Medicare beneficiaries, indicating that many patients did not benefit or fully benefit from a class I guideline-recommended therapy. Additional research and continued widespread adoption of successful enrollment and engagement initiatives are needed, especially among identified populations.

Optimizing Training Response for Women in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Despite lower baseline fitness levels, women in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) do not typically improve peak aerobic exercise capacity (defined as peak oxygen uptake [peak Vo2]) compared with men in CR. Objective: To evaluate the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and intensive lower extremity resistance training (RT) compared with standard moderate intensity continuous training (MCT) on peak Vo2 among women in CR. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial conducted from July 2017 to February 2020 included women from a community-based cardiac rehabilitation program affiliated with a university hospital in Vermont. A total of 56 women (mean [SD] age, 65 [11] years; range 43-98 years) participating in CR enrolled in the study. Interventions: MCT (70% to 85% of peak heart rate [HR]) with moderate intensive RT or HIIT (90% to 95% of peak HR) along with higher-intensity lower extremity RT 3 times per week over 12 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the between-group difference in change in peak Vo2 (L/min) from baseline to 12 weeks. Results: Peak Vo2 increased to a greater degree in the HIIT group (+23%) than in the control group (+7%) (mean [SD] increase, 0.3 [0.2] L/min vs 0.1 [0.2] L/min; P = .03). Similarly, the change in leg strength was greater in the HIIT-RT group compared with the control group (mean [SD] increase, 15.3 [0.3] kg vs 6.4 [1.1] kg; P = .004). Conclusions and Relevance: An exercise protocol combining HIIT and intensive lower extremity RT enhanced exercise training response for women in CR compared with standard CR exercise training. Women randomized to HIIT experienced significantly greater improvements in both peak Vo2 and leg strength during CR. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03438968.

Rates of revascularization and PCI:CABG ratio: a new indicator predicting in-hospital mortality in acute coronary syndromes.

OBJECTIVE: The principal trend in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is increasing utilization of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and declining coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) utilization. This study was designed to evaluate whether higher PCI:CABG ratios lead to higher in-hospital PCI or CABG mortality. METHODS: The National Readmission Database for years 2016 was queried for all hospitalized ACS patients who underwent coronary revascularization during their admission. The study population was derived from 355 US hospitals and included 103 021 patients. Hospitals were grouped based on their PCI:CABG ratio into low, intermediate, and high ratio quartiles with a median [interquartile ranges (IQR)] PCI:CABG ratio of 2.9 (2.5-3.2), 5.0 (4.3-5.9) and 8.9 (7.8-10.3), respectively multivariable logistic regression with adjustment for age, demographics and comorbidities were used to identify CABG:PCI ratio related risk for in-hospital CABG and PCI mortality. RESULTS: Higher PCI:CABG ratios correlated with an increased CABG mortality. There was a median (IQR) mortality of 2.5% (1.6-4.3) in the low ratio quartile; 3.1% (1.9-5.3) in the intermediate quartiles; and 5.3% (3.2-9.1) in the high ratio quartile (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, the PCI:CABG ratio was associated with an increased risk for CABG mortality with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.38 (95% CI, 1.14-1.67, P < 0.001) and 2.17 (95% CI, 1.70-2.80, P < 0.001) for hospitals with intermediate and high PCI:CABG ratios, respectively. There was no significant association between PCI:CABG ratio and PCI mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The programmatic PCI:CABG ratio is a valid indicator of optimal case selection. The PCI:CABG ratio correlates with in-hospital mortality in ACS.

Cardiac rehabilitation of Baduanjin exercise in coronary heart disease after PCI: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an effective revascularization strategy in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). However, recent studies had indicated that postPCI patients usually suffer from a low-quality life. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been recommended by numerous guidelines in the clinic for these patients. And Baduanjin exercise can significantly benefit patients with CHD. Regrettably, the effect of Baduanjin exercise on postPCI patients is still not clear. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is planned to explore the effect of Baduanjin exercise in patients with CHD who have undergone PCI. METHODS: PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang Database, SINOMED, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure will be searched for appropriate articles from respective inceptions until December 1th, 2020. Two reviewers will independently conduct article selection, data collection, and risk of bias evaluation. Disagreements will be resolved first by discussion and then by consulting a third author for arbitration. The primary outcome will include left ventricular ejection fraction. And the change in the scores on the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, SF-36 health survey scale, Zung Self-rating Anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale will be used as the secondary outcomes. RevMan 5.3 will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review and meta-analysis will explore whether Baduanjin exercise is an effective intervention in postPCI patients. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide convincing evidence of Baduanjin exercise that specifically focuses on CR of Baduanjin exercise on CHD after PCI. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202130065.

Remote Postdischarge Treatment of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction by Allied Health Care Practitioners vs Standard Care: The IMMACULATE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: There are few data on remote postdischarge treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of allied health care practitioner-led remote intensive management (RIM) with cardiologist-led standard care (SC). Design, Setting, and Participants: This intention-to-treat feasibility trial randomized patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing early revascularization and with N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentration more than 300 pg/mL to RIM or SC across 3 hospitals in Singapore from July 8, 2015, to March 29, 2019. RIM participants underwent 6 months of remote consultations that included ß-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACE-I/ARB) dose adjustment by a centralized nurse practitioner team while SC participants were treated face-to-face by their cardiologists. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary safety end point was a composite of hypotension, bradycardia, hyperkalemia, or acute kidney injury requiring hospitalization. To assess the efficacy of RIM in dose adjustment of ß-blockers and ACE-I/ARBs compared with SC, dose intensity scores were derived by converting comparable doses of different ß-blockers and ACE-I/ARBs to a scale from 0 to 5. The primary efficacy end point was the 6-month indexed left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) adjusted for baseline LVESV. Results: Of 301 participants, 149 (49.5%) were randomized to RIM and 152 (50.5%) to SC. RIM and SC participants had similar mean (SD) age (55.3 [8.5] vs 54.7 [9.1] years), median (interquartile range) N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentration (807 [524-1360] vs 819 [485-1320] pg/mL), mean (SD) baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (57.4% [11.1%] vs 58.1% [10.3%]), and mean (SD) indexed LVESV (32.4 [14.1] vs 30.6 [11.7] mL/m2); 15 patients [5.9%] had a left ventricular ejection fraction <40%. The primary safety end point occurred in 0 RIM vs 2 SC participants (1.4%) (P = .50). The mean ß-blocker and ACE-I/ARB dose intensity score at 6 months was 3.03 vs 2.91 (adjusted mean difference, 0.12 [95% CI, -0.02 to 0.26; P = .10]) and 2.96 vs 2.77 (adjusted mean difference, 0.19 [95% CI, -0.02 to 0.40; P = .07]), respectively. The 6-month indexed LVESV was 28.9 vs 29.7 mL/m2 (adjusted mean difference, -0.80 mL/m2 [95% CI, -3.20 to 1.60; P = .51]). Conclusions and Relevance: Among low-risk patients with revascularization after myocardial infarction, RIM by allied health care professionals was feasible and safe. There were no differences in achieved medication doses or indices of left ventricular remodeling. Further studies of RIM in higher-risk cohorts are warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02468349.

Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation With Survival Among US Veterans.

Importance: Participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities is low. Most veterans receive CR through purchased care at non-VA programs. However, limited literature exists on the comparison of outcomes between VA and non-VA CR programs. Objective: To compare 1-year mortality and 1-year readmission rates for myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization between VA vs non-VA CR participants. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included 7320 patients hospitalized for myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization at the VA between 2010 and 2014 who did not die within 30 days of discharge and who participated in 2 or more CR sessions after discharge. The study excluded individuals hospitalized for ischemic heart disease after December 2014 when the VA Choice Act changed referral criteria for non-VA care. Data analysis was performed from November 2019 to January 2020. Exposures: Participation in 2 or more CR sessions within 12 months of discharge at a VA or non-VA facility. Main Outcomes and Measures: The 1-year all-cause mortality and 1-year readmission rates for myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization from date of discharge were compared between VA vs non-VA CR participants using Cox proportional hazards models with inverse probability treatment weighting. Results: The 7320 veterans with ischemic heart disease who participated in CR programs had a mean (SD) age of 65.13 (8.17) years and were predominantly white (6005 patients [82.0%]), non-Hispanic (6642 patients [91.0%]), and male (7191 patients [98.2%]). Among these 7320 veterans, 2921 (39.9%) attended a VA facility, and 4399 (60.1%) attended a non-VA CR facility. Black and Hispanic veterans were more likely to attend CR programs at VA facilities (509 patients [17.4%] and 378 patients [12.9%], respectively), whereas white veterans were more likely to attend CR programs at non-VA facilities (3759 patients [85.5%]). After inverse probability treatment weighting, rates of 1-year mortality were 1.7% among VA CR participants vs 1.3% among non-VA CR participants (hazard ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.90-1.94; P = .15). Rates of readmission for myocardial infarction or revascularization during the 12 months after discharge were 4.9% among VA CR participants vs 4.4% among non-VA CR participants (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.83-1.35; P = .62). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that rates of 1-year mortality and 1-year readmission for myocardial infarction or revascularization did not differ for participants in VA vs non-VA cardiac rehabilitation programs. Eligible patients with ischemic heart disease should participate in CR programs regardless of where they are provided.

Health behaviours of rural Australians following percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Following a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), emphasis is placed on healthy lifestyle modification by means of secondary prevention. The literature suggests Australians have difficulty within the period following a PCI, particularly the rural cohort. Despite having a higher incidence of cardiac disease, there is minimal evidence on secondary prevention within the rural Australian population. Therefore, there is a clear need for a comprehensive review to gather literature of the health behaviours of this population post-PCI. METHODS: A scoping review was undertaken to obtain literature within 2007-2017. The following databases were searched in January 2018: Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed Central, Embase, ProQuest and PsycINFO. Search strings were derived from three topics: 'behaviours', 'rural' and 'PCI'. RESULTS: Ten publications met the inclusion criteria. Over half the studies were of a quantitative design, along with one qualitative study. Overall, there was minimal published literature on the rural Australian population. Three key themes were identified from the literature: referral and attendance to cardiac rehabilitation, isolation and transitioning difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic scoping review highlights the need for future research to determine strategies to improve healthy behaviours of rural Australians post-PCI.

Financial Incentives to Increase Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation Among Low-Socioeconomic Status Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine the efficacy of financial incentives to increase Medicaid patient participation in and completion of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). BACKGROUND: Participation in CR reduces morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations while improving quality of life. Lower-socioeconomic status (SES) patients are much less likely to attend and complete CR, despite being at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events. METHODS: A total of 130 individuals enrolled in Medicaid with a CR-qualifying cardiac event were randomized 1:1 to receive financial incentives on an escalating schedule ($4 to $50) for completing CR sessions or to receive usual care. Primary outcomes were CR participation (number of sessions completed) and completion (≥30 sessions completed). Secondary outcomes included changes in sociocognitive measurements (depressive/anxious symptoms, executive function), body composition (waist circumference, body mass index), fitness (peak VO2) over 4 months, and combined number of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) contacts over 1 year. RESULTS: Patients randomized to the incentive condition completed more sessions (22.4 vs. 14.7, respectively; p = 0.013) and were almost twice as likely to complete CR (55.4% vs. 29.2%, respectively; p = 0.002) as controls. Incentivized patients were also more likely to experience improvements in executive function (p < 0.001), although there were no significant effects on other secondary outcomes. Patients who completed ≥30 sessions had 47% fewer combined hospitalizations and ED visits (p = 0.014), as reflected by a nonsignificant trend by study condition with 39% fewer hospital contacts in the incentive condition group (p = 0.079). CONCLUSIONS: Financial incentives improve CR participation among lower-SES patients following a cardiac event. Increasing participation among lower-SES patients in CR is critical for positive longer-term health outcomes. (Increasing Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation Among Medicaid Enrollees; NCT02172820).

Adaptation and psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the heart continuity of care questionnaire (HCCQ).

BACKGROUND: Continuity of cardiac care after hospital discharge is a priority, especially as healthcare systems become increasingly complex and fragmented. There are few available instruments to measure continuity of cardiac care, especially from the patient perspective. The aim of this study was (1) to translate and adapt the Heart Continuity of Care Questionnaire (HCCQ) to conditions in Norway, and (2) to determine its psychometric properties in self-report format administered to patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The HCCQ was first translated into Norwegian from the original English version, following a widely used cross-cultural adaptation process. Data were collected before hospital discharge and in a follow-up after 2 months. To assess psychometric properties, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and three aspects of construct validity were evaluated: structural validity, hypotheses testing and cross-cultural validation. Internal consistency of the HCCQ subscales was calculated using Cronbach's alpha, while intra-class correlation (ICC) was used to assess test-retest reliability. Additionally, socio-demographic and patient-reported data were collected to correlate with HCCQ scores. RESULTS: Of those included at baseline, 436 (76%) completed the questionnaires after 2 months. CFA suggested that the fit of the HCCQ data to a 3-factor model was modest (RMSEA = 0.11, CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.90). However, convergent validity was satisfactory, based on existing research. Internal consistency was good, as indicated by its Cronbach's alphas: total continuity of care (0.95); informational (0.93), relational (0.87), and management (0.89) continuity. The ICC for the total HCCQ score was 0.80 (95% CI [0.71, 0.87] p < 0.001). As indicated by negative care experiences (rated as 1 or 2 on the five-point scale), patients seemed to have limited knowledge about medical treatment, lifestyle modification and follow-up after PCI. Participation in cardiac rehabilitation and longer consultations with the general practitioner after hospital discharge were positively correlated with better continuity of care. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the HCCQ will likely support healthcare providers and researchers in identifying problem areas of continuity of cardiac care and in evaluating interventions aimed at improving continuity of care.

Effects of rehabilitation exercise on coronary artery after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of rehabilitation exercise on coronary artery of the patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL databases, ISI Web of Science databases, Chinese Biological Medicine Data Base, Chinese knowledge resources, and Wan Fang database. Two researchers independently screened the literature databases, and assessed methodological qualities using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and extracted data.Results: The coronary restenosis rate in rehabilitation exercise group was 10.8% (23/212), and that in the control group was 21% (48/229). Patients with rehabilitation exercise showed a significant reduction in restenosis rate, compared to the control group ((pooled OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.26-0.82, p < 0.01); heterogeneity: Chi2=3.86, df =5 (p = 0.57); I2=0%). In addition, the late luminal loss per stent in the rehabilitation exercise group was significantly smaller than that in the control group ((pooled MD: -0.33, 95% CI: -0.52 to -0.13, p < 0.01); heterogeneity: Chi2=0.27, df =1 (p = 0.60); I2=0%).Conclusions: Appropriate rehabilitation exercise reduces the incidence of coronary restenosis after PCI in patients with CHD and contributes to a significant reduction in late luminal loss in the stented coronary segment.Implications for RehabilitationAppropriate rehabilitation exercise can reduce the incidence of coronary restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary heart disease.Appropriate rehabilitation exercise contributes to a reduction in late luminal loss in the stented coronary segment.

Effect of cardiac rehabilitation programme following elective percutaneous coronary angiography on depressive symptoms: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common condition in cardiac patients. We investigated the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on depressive symptoms as detected by Beck depression inventory II score (BDI) in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: In this cohort, 95 patients met our criteria. Patients were then studied in two groups based on their participation in the rehabilitation program to rehabilitation (exposure) and the control (non-exposure) groups. The control group consisted of those who only participated in the introductory session and decided not to continue the program. Finally, demographic and clinical parameters as well as the BDI scores were compared between the study groups. RESULTS: Data of 35 patients who completed rehabilitation program was compared with 60 patients who did not. There was no significant difference between the study groups regarding the demographic and clinical variables, except for a higher frequency of family history for CAD in the control group (p<0.001). The frequency of the patients with no or mild depression was significantly higher in the rehabilitation group than the controls (p=0.02). There was also a significant increase in the BDI score of the control group and a significant decrease in the rehabilitation group (p<0.001). After adjustment for confounders (family history and severity of CAD), not attending the rehabilitation program was a strong risk factor for depression (OR=10.8, 95% CI: 1.3, 88.5; P=0.027). CONCLUSION: Overall, this study showed that not attending cardiac rehabilitation program following elective PCI was a risk factor for depression.

[The evaluation of the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation of the patients after percutaneous coronary interventions]. / Otsenka éffektivnosti kardioreabilitatsii patsientov posle chreskozhnykh koronarnykh vmeshatel'stv.

BACKGROUND: Notwithstanding the current abundance of the methodological approaches to the evaluation of the outcomes of medical rehabilitation, the criteria for the effectiveness of the combined influence of the curative physical factors are still inadequate and remain at variance with the principles of evidence-based medicine. AIM: The objective of the present study was to develop a method for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the rehabilitation activities in the patients presenting with the acute coronary syndrome following endovascular cardiac interventions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This work is based on the results of a prospective single-center cohort-based clinical study involving the subjects who had undergone myocardial infarction following endovascular cardiac surgical interventions. The duration of the patient's participation in the study was 21 days. RESULTS: We have developed the integrative approach to the creation of the unified multi-criteria system for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment of the patients presenting with cardiovascular diseases after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). In addition, the step-by-step description of this technology is presented. The algorithm for the calculation of the integrated health index and the evaluation of the overall effect of the rehabilitation activities was proposed based on the assessment of the clinical, laboratory, and functional indicators of the health status together with the psychological characteristics of individual patients. It is proposed to consider an integrated health index as a parameter for estimating the rehabilitation potential of the patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases after percutaneous surgical interventions. CONCLUSION: The proposed system for the evaluating of the effectiveness of comprehensive medical rehabilitation differs from analogous intellectual products in that it excludes the subjective interpretation of the severity of clinical symptoms associated with the concrete pathological process and makes impossible the arbitrary determination of the weight of the peculiar features of the patient's condition. Moreover, it allows to reduce the parameters of different types chosen as the criteria for the evaluation of the effectiveness of rehabilitation to the standardized values, to obtain an unambiguous numerical expression of the results of the rehabilitative treatment, and to compare the outcomes of the rehabilitation activities based at different treatment and prevention settings.

Effects of iPad Video Education on Patient Knowledge, Satisfaction, and Cardiac Rehabilitation Attendance.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to examine the outcomes of using video education as an adjunct to standard discharge education for patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention. Outcomes included knowledge about heart disease and discharge instructions, satisfaction with the video education, and the percentage of patients with cardiac rehabilitation referrals who attended their first cardiac rehabilitation session. METHODS: This project analyzed data on 224 participants. A video delivered via an iPad was used to provide adjunct discharge education to patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention procedures and were on the 24-hour overnight postrecovery unit. Participants completed a test to gauge knowledge learned. Descriptive statistics, the paired t test, and the Fisher exact test were used to evaluate the efficacy of this education. RESULTS: A paired t test showed significant knowledge improvement between the pretest percentage correct (mean = 88.97) and the posttest (mean = 96.62): t = -9.657, df = 223, P < .001. A majority of the patients (86.3%, n = 183) were very satisfied with the video education, and 98.1% (n = 208) stated it improved their knowledge and confidence about caring for their heart disease. Despite these reported improvements, there was no significant increase in cardiac rehabilitation attendance (P = .80). CONCLUSION: Patients of all ages embraced the use of video education on iPads as an adjunct to standard discharge education. Patients felt more confident and informed on discharge about the expectations of caring for their heart disease and the need for cardiac rehabilitation. Despite knowing the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, it remained an underutilized resource for these patients.

Efficacy of 2.5-mg Prasugrel in Elderly or Low-Body-Weight Patients.

BACKGROUND: Due to concern about bleeding complications, a maintenance dose of prasugrel 2.5 mg may be used in elderly or low-body-weight patients in Japan. There is little information, however, on the efficacy and safety of a 2.5-mg maintenance dose of prasugrel. Methods and Results: In this single-center, prospective, open-label, cross-over study, a total of 44 elderly (≥75 years old) or low body-weight (<50 kg) Japanese patients >1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention who were treated with aspirin 81-100 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg were randomized to either prasugrel 2.5 mg or 3.75 mg instead of clopidogrel for 14 days, with a cross-over directly to the alternate treatment for another 14 days. Platelet inhibition was assessed with the VerifyNow assay (Accumetrics, San Diego, CA, USA) at 3 time points: baseline; day 14; and day 28. P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) ≤95 was defined as low on-treatment platelet reactivity (LPR), and PRU ≥262 as high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR). The prevalence of LPR was 2.2% in patients treated with clopidogrel, 2.2% in those with prasugrel 2.5 mg, and 22.7% in those with prasugrel 3.75 mg (P<0.001). Clopidogrel resulted in the higher prevalence of HPR compared with 2.5-mg and 3.75-mg prasugrel (40.9% vs. 18.2% vs. 6.8%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Prasugrel 2.5 mg may be more appropriate in elderly or lower-body-weight Japanese patients.