Article

Background It has been previously shown in patients with heart failure that
exercise-based rehabilitation programmes may improve functional capacity and
autonomic response.
The aim of this study was to investigate this issue further
by evaluating whether an association exists between autonomic adaptations and
improvements of aerobic capacity in a general population of coronary artery
disease patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Methods Ninety consecutive
patients (age 60 +/- 11 years) attended a rehabilitation programme of moderate
continuous training (25 +/- 8 sessions, 2-3 sessions/week). Functional capacity
expressed as oxygen uptake (peak VO2) and autonomic function expressed as
chronotropic response and heart rate recovery were evaluated by cardiopulmonary
exercise tests before and after the rehabilitation programme. According to the
expected mean increase in functional capacity, coronary artery disease patients
were divided into two groups: those who improved peak VO2 by more than 2.6
ml/kg/min (R group) and those who did not (NR group). Effects of the
rehabilitation programme were compared in R and NR groups. Results The number and
intensity of exercise sessions did not differ between R ( N = 39) and NR ( N =
51) groups. However, only R patients improved chronotropic response (R: from 45.1
+/- 16.9% to 72.7 +/- 34.1%, P < 0.01; NR: from 49.3 +/- 18.6% to 48.2 +/- 36.5%,
P = NS) and heart rate recovery (R: from 16.9 +/- 7.0 bpm to 21.0 +/- 8.7 bpm, P
< 0.01; NR: from 15.2 +/- 9.9 bpm to 15.8 +/- 8.5 bpm, P = NS). After training
both chronotropic response and heart rate recovery were significantly higher in R
than NR patients. Conclusions The improvement in aerobic capacity of coronary
artery disease patients following exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes is associated with positive adaptations of autonomic function.

Langue : ANGLAIS