276 Maintenance of exercise training after a center-based cardiac rehabilitation: effects on physical capacity, psychological status and obesity indices after 12 months

Previous studies have shown that patients exiting cardiac rehabilitation program (CRP) have difficulty maintaining an adequate exercise activity.The aim of this prospective study was to determine the effects of a maintenance exercise program (MEP) on physical capacity, psychological status and indices of obesity after a 12 months follow-up period.The MEP was organized by the cardiac patient association “Prenez la vie à Coeur”, Reunion Island. Sessions were supervised by a sport trainer and a professional health care and consisted in walking exercises, gymnastic and strength exercises, stretching and relaxation, total duration 2 hours.Eighty nine patients (46 women, mean age 58.5±10.3 years) exiting an initial 6-week CRP were included in the MEP and performed a weekly exercise training session during 12 months.All patients underwent a 6-min walk test (6MWT) before starting MEP and after 12 months. Patients also completed the Hospital Anxiety & Depression scale and a Quality of Life (Qol) questionnaire. Weights, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) were measured before and after the exercise intervention.After the 12 months-period there were a significant improvement in distance at the 6MWT (from 532±100 m to 573.6±92 m – p=0.001), a significant decrease in weight (from 69±12.8 kg to 67.2±12.8 kg – p=0.001), BMI (from 25.8±4.7 to 25.3±4.6 – p