Cardiac Rehabilitation for Hypertension Assessment and Control: Report From the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation

Effects of cardiac rehabilitation on obese hypertensive patients: A controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between obesity and hypertension is clearly known and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is shown as an effective treatment method in both obese and hypertensive patients. The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of CR on obese hypertensive patients by comparing them with non-obese hypertensive patients.

METHODS

Eighty eligible, volunteer participants with hypertension (SBP ≥140mmHg and/or DBP ≥90mmHg) were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to their BMI values: obese (BMI ≥30kg/m2) hypertensive patients and non-obese (BMI <30kg/m2) hypertensive patients. The CR program, in which aerobic exercise training was the main part, was performed on the patients. At the end of the 10-week CR program, the resting SBP and DBP values were measured.

RESULTS

A total of 74 patients (37 obese and 37 non-obese) completed the study. After CR significant improvements were achieved in all evaluated parameters compared to pre-CR values. When the amounts of changes before and after CR were compared, the decrease in SBP was found to be significantly higher in obese patients compared to non-obese patients (p=.003). Higher BMI was associated with more reduction in SBP (r=0.287, p=0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Exercise-based CR effectively reduced SBP in obese and non-obese hypertensive patients. However, it was more effective in obese patients compared to non-obese patients.

The Patient's Physiological Status at the Start Determines the Success of the Inpatient Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program

Multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation plays an important role in the recovery of patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Lifestyle changes, achieved by exercise, diet, weight loss and patient education programs, are the first steps to a healthier life. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptor (RAGE) are known to be involved in CVDs. Clarification on whether initial AGE levels can influence the rehabilitation outcome is important. Serum samples were collected at the beginning and end of the inpatient rehabilitation stay and analyzed for parameters: lipid metabolism, glucose status, oxidative stress, inflammation and AGE/RAGE-axis. As result, a 5% increase in the soluble isoform RAGE (sRAGE) (T₀: 891.82 ± 44.97 pg/mL, T₁: 937.17 ± 43.29 pg/mL) accompanied by a 7% decrease in AGEs (T₀: 10.93 ± 0.65 µg/mL, T₁: 10.21 ± 0.61 µg/mL) was shown. Depending on the initial AGE level, a significant reduction of 12.2% of the AGE activity (quotient AGE/sRAGE) was observed. We found that almost all measured factors improved. Summarizing, CVD-specific multidisciplinary rehabilitation positively influences disease-associated parameters, and thus provides an optimal starting point for subsequent disease-modifying lifestyle changes. Considering our observations, the initial physiological situations of patients at the beginning of their rehabilitation stay seem to play a decisive role regarding the assessment of rehabilitation success.

Evaluation of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Exercise Risk Stratification Classification Tool Without Exercise Testing

PURPOSE

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) recommends that patients starting cardiac rehabilitation (CR) undergo stratification to identify risk for exercise-related adverse events (AE), but this tool has not been recently evaluated.

METHODS

Among patients who enrolled in CR in 2016, we used the AACVPR risk stratification tool to evaluate the risk for AE and clinical events (CE). We defined AE as signs or symptoms that precluded or interrupted exercise during CR, and CE as events requiring an urgent evaluation outside of CR exercise sessions.

RESULTS

During the study period, 657 patients with cardiovascular diagnoses were included and classified as high (58%), medium (31%), or low risk (11%). Over the course of CR (76 d, 17 sessions), there were 63 AE and 33 CE. Adverse events were mostly minor (no cardiac arrests or deaths) and managed by CR staff members. When compared with the low- or medium-risk groups, the high-risk group was more likely to have AE (HR 3.0 [95% CI, 1.7-5.9], P = .002) and CE (HR 3.7 [95% CI, 1.5-10.8], P = .002) with fair model discrimination (area under the curve: 0.637, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

The AACVPR risk stratification tool was predictive of both AE and CE with fair discrimination, although event rates were low and mostly minor. Thus, the AACVPR model may require reevaluation to better identify truly at-risk patients for major AE.

Possibility of Cardio-renal Protection by Long-term Cardiac Rehabilitation in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Objective Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves the mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Even in elderly patients with CVD, CR may improve the activities of daily living (ADL). Methods Eighty-eight outpatients over 65 years of age at the beginning of a CR program (baseline) at Fukuoka University Hospital who had CVD and could be followed-up for up to 5 years were enrolled. CVD included ischemic heart disease, postoperative valvular heart disease, dissecting aneurysm of the aorta and peripheral artery disease. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at baseline (55.4±14.8 mL/min/1.73 m²): high (≥55.4, n=44) and low (<55.4, n=44)-eGFR groups. The anaerobic threshold (AT) during exercise and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured by cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) and ultrasound cardiography, respectively. The serum brain natriuretic protein (BNP) was also measured every year. Results The average age at baseline in all patients was 73±6 years. In all patients, the level of eGFR did not significantly change for 5 years (55±15 mL/min/1.73 m² at baseline vs. 48±14 at the end of the study). The AT (3.7±1.0 METs at baseline vs. 3.3±0.5), LVEF (57±13% vs. 64±10%) and BNP (260±452 pg/mL vs. 308±345) were also maintained for 5 years. In both the low- and high-eGFR groups, the eGFR, AT during exercise, LVEF and BNP at the end of the study were not significantly changed compared to the baseline values, although some changes were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusion Long-term CR in CVD outpatients over 65 years of age helped maintain the AT, LVEF, BNP and eGFR for 5 years. CR afforded cardio-renal protection in elderly patients with CVD.