doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00302 Cardiac rehabilitation outcomes following a 6-week program of PCI and CABG Patients

Coronary artery events requiring intervention are associated with depressed cardiac autonomic function. Whether a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation (CR) differs in effectiveness in improving exercise capacity (6MWT), cardiorespiratory function (peakVO2), and autonomic function (HRV) following either cardiac bypass surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI) is unknown. The current study therefore compared the change in 6MWT and peak VO2 to HRV variables following a 6-week CR program and with patients having either PCI or CABG. Thirty-eight patients, (PCI, n = 22 and CABG, n = 16) participated in the CR program and results for pre and post 6min walk test (6MWT), peakVO2, and heart rate variability (HRV) were obtained. Our study has shown that a 6 weeks program following either PCI or CABG improves function. However, the effect on post-CABG differs to that of post-PCI patients. The change in distance walked (6MWT, metres) was higher in the CABG (6MWT: 61, p < 0.001) compared to the PCI group (6MWT: 41, p < 0.001). Maximum exercise capacity (peak VO2, ml/kg.min) also changed significantly with a greater change in the CABG group (PCI: 0.7, P < 0.001; CABG: 1.0, P < 0.001) but did not reach normal population values. Although an improvemen