A controlled trial of home-based cardiac rehabilitation versus usual hospital care in cardiac patients

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program combining a home-based exercise training program with phone calls counselling educational talks and group workshops on surgery, risk factors, recovery, healthy lifestyle and physical activities on post-bypass patients.MethodForty-nine participants were randomized to either a control group (standard hospital, n=21) or an intervention group (home-based CR, n=28) in King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah. Data were collected before hospital discharge (baseline test) and repeated 6months after hospital discharge (follow-up test).ResultsNo significant differences between the groups in body mass index (p=0.691), hemodynamics (p>0.05), the serum fasting lipid profile (p>0.05) and Quality of Life questionnaire (QoL) (p=0.358), with differences in physical function (p=0.000) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) (p<0.05) at the baseline test. At the follow-up test, the intervention group showed greater improvement in health-related QoL and risk factors compared to the control group, with significant differences in fasting blood glucose (p=0.000), triglycerides (p=0.033), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.005), physical function (p=0.000) and QoL and HADS questionnaires (p=0.000). The intervention group also demonstrated significant improvements in QoL (p=0.000), HADS (p