Article

Cardiac rehabilitation is associated with cardiac autonomic and
physiological benefits. However, it is unclear whether baseline left ventricular
function (LVF) impacts on training-induced cardiac autonomic adaptations.
The aim of this study was to assess the cardiac autonomic adaptations in patients with
varying left ventricular function profiles undergoing coronary artery bypass
grafting and cardiac rehabilitation. Assessor-blinded prospective trial.
PATIENTS: Forty-four patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, divided
into normal LVFN (>/= 55%, n = 23) or reduced LVFR (35-54%, n = 21) were
evaluated. METHOD: Cardiac autonomic function was evaluated by heart rate
variability indexes obtained both pre- and post-cardiac rehabilitation. All
patients participated in a short-term (approximately 5 days) supervised inpatient
physiotherapy program. RESULTS: There were differences in heart rate variability
indexes, correlation dimension and SD2 according to time and group (e.g.
interaction time (effect of cardiac rehabilitation) vs group (LVFN vs LVFR), p =
0.04). Simple main effects analysis showed that the LVFR group benefited to a
greater degree from cardiac rehabilitation compared with the LVFN group. Heart
rate variability indexes increased significantly in the former group compared
with the latter. CONCLUSION: Among post-coronary artery bypass grafting patients
engaged in short-term inpatient rehabilitation, those with reduced left
ventricular function are most likely to have better cardiac autonomic adaptations
to exercise-based rehabilitation.

Langue : ANGLAIS