Usefulness of the Duke Activity Status Index to Select an Optimal Cardiovascular Exercise Stress Test Protocol

Prehabilitation: a narrative review focused on exercise therapy for the prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications following lung resection

Extensive preventive strategies in the perioperative period are popular worldwide. Novel "prehabilitation" approaches are being defined for every individual surgical discipline. With intention to reduce perioperative morbidity, "prehabilitation" was developed to increase "physical wellness" considering exercise capacity, nutritional status, and psychological support. Thus, prehabilitation could be well-suited for patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. Theoretically, improving physical condition may increase the chances of having a better post-operative course, especially among frail patients. In this review, we describe the concept of prehabilitation with possible benefits, its role in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols, and its potential for the future.

Measurement Properties of the Duke Activity Status Index in Arab Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

The aim of the study was to examine the measurement properties of the Arabic version of the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). A sample of 100 Arab patients with CVD completed the Arabic version of the DASI and underwent an exercise stress test (EST) on the first visit, and the metabolic equivalent (MET) was obtained from each outcome measure. On the second visit, patients with CVD completed the Arabic version of the DASI along with the global rating of change scale (GRC). Reliability, including the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity, were examined. Patients with CVD (86 males), mean (SD) age 54.98 (10.2) years, completed the study. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.87, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_2,1) was 0.93. The estimated MET and peak VO₂ obtained from the DASI were correlated with the estimated MET and peak VO₂ obtained from the EST (r = 0.58, r = 0.56, all p-values < 0.001). The Arabic version of the DASI is a simple, quick, reliable, and valid measure of functional capacity in Arabic-speaking patients with CVD. The DASI may serve as a screening tool for functional capacity in patients with CVD in clinical settings.

Depressive Symptoms After Acute Myocardial Infarction and Its Association With Low Functional Capacity and Physical Activity

PURPOSE

Depressive symptoms after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are related with adverse health outcomes. However, the risk factors and course of depressive symptoms after AMI have not been widely investigated, especially in Asian populations. We aimed to evaluate changes in the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the associated risk factors at 3 mo after AMI. We also investigated the associations among functional capacity, physical activity (PA), and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted for 1545 patients who were admitted for AMI and referred to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) between August 2015 and March 2019. Of these patients, 626 patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Korean Activity Scale Index (KASI), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) 3 mo following AMI. A PHQ-9 score of ≥5 was considered to indicate depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 30% at baseline and decreased to 12% at 3 mo after AMI. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with low functional capacity (OR = 2.20, P = .004) and unemployment status (OR = 1.82, P = .023). After adjusting for variables including functional capacity, depressive symptoms exhibited a significant relationship with low PA after AMI (OR = 1.80, P = .023).

CONCLUSION

Systematic screening and treatment for depressive symptoms and efforts to promote CR may help to improve PA and functional capacity in Korean patients with AMI. Such efforts may aid in reducing the depressive symptoms and related adverse outcomes.