The Role of Ambulatory Cardiac Rehabilitation in Improvement of Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depression.

BACKGROUND: Psychological reactions may adversely affect recovery after major cardiac events. This study investigates the role and frequently negligible importance of ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation (ACR) in improvement of quality of life (QoL), anxiety and depression at patients with various cardiac pathology. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included subjects treated for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), those with performed elective revascularization, and OTHERS (after valve replacement, implanted pacemaker or other device, with stable heart failure and coronary artery disease). Their anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire), depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) questionnaire) and QoL data (Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, for physical and mental QoL components) were collected initially and after 3-month of ACR. RESULTS: ACR underwent 170 patients, aged 59 (53-66 years), predominately males (74.7%). At both genders, median duration of ACR was 12 weeks, with reduction of anxiety and depression scores and improvement in almost all components of QoL (P<0.05), except in mental health and bodily pain in males and females, respectively. After ACS (63.5%), ACR lasted 12 weeks, with reduction of anxiety and depression scores and improvement in all components of QoL (P<0.05). After elective revascularization (14.1%), ACR lasted 12 weeks, with reduction of anxiety score and improvement in almost all components of QoL (P<0.05), except mental health. At OTHERS (22.4%), ACR lasted 4 weeks, with improvement in almost all components of QoL (P<0.05), except mental health; ACR duration negatively correlated with anxiety and depressive scores (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: ACR during 3-month results with improvement of anxiety, depression and QoL at patients with various cardiac pathology.