Effects of exercise training on left ventricular mass in patients with ischemic heart disease

Exercise as a coronary protective factor

Exercise has multiple beneficial actions, both in normal subjects and in patients with coronary artery disease, which can be cardioprotective. Apart from reducing known risk factors and protecting against their deleterious effects, exercise also reduces the risk of coronary artery disease by increasing cardiovascular fitness. The exact contribution of each of these mechanisms in reducing coronary artery disease morbidity and mortality is unclear. Although fitness may be desirable, much of the cardioprotection can be achieved through increased leisure time and recreational physical activity. The risk-benefit ratio is very much in favor of moderate intensity exercise. Even in the absence of a controlled trial, the available evidence suggests that efforts to encourage physical activity are justified.

Cardiac effects of short term arm crank training in paraplegics: echocardiographic evidence

The cardiac responses of male paraplegics to upper-body endurance training have been studied by M-mode echocardiography and CO2-rebreathing determination of cardiac output. Data for nine exercised subjects are compared with 5 controls. After 16 weeks of arm ergometer exercise, heart rates of trained individuals were 9 bt X min-1 lower during isometric handgrip effort (30% of MVC for 3 min), with a substantial decrease of rate pressure product (20%; p less than 0.05). In contrast (possibly because of greater anticipation) the control subjects developed a larger rate-pressure product with repetition of the standard isometric effort. Despite a significant increase of VO2 peak (19% and 31% after 8 and 16 weeks, respectively; p less than 0.05), echocardiographic LV mass, dimensions and indices of LV performance were unchanged by training, either at rest or during the isometric handgrip. Stroke volumes were significantly increased by 12-16% after training, both in isometric and in rhythmic work; at the highest intensity of arm ergometry, there was also a suggestion of increased cardiac output. We conclude that a short period of arm training is insufficient to induce cardiac hypertrophy, an increase of stroke volume with a decreased rate-pressure product but no change in echocardiographic indices of LV performance implies an improved myocardial efficiency. Possible explanations are a greater strength of the trained arms, and some increase of pre-loading (due to an increase of venous tone and more effective operation of the muscle pump after training).

A computerized approach to evaluating rest and exercise-induced ECG/VCG changes after cardiac rehabilitation

A computerized method of acquiring and analyzing rest and exercise test 12-lead electrocardiographic and three-dimensional lead vectorcardiographic data before and after cardiac rehabilitations is described. Fourteen coronary heart disease patients were exercise tested before and after a mean of five months of aerobic exercise training, The only significant ST-segment improvements were found in three-dimensional space. Spatial measurements should be considered in the assessment of electrocardiographic changes secondary to exercise training.