Effect of telephone-monitored home-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise on functional capacity and quality of life in heart failure patients in a lower-middle-income country

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

Chronic heart failure (CHF) prevails as one of the major cardiovascular diseases in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh. Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation (HBCR) is a cost-effective method of secondary prevention of chronic heart failure which, if provided, might not only improve the health status of the patients but might also reduce the financial and hospitalization burden on the health care system of these countries. The study aims to assess the scope and benefits of HBCR in such low resource settings.

Purpose

The study evaluates the effect of telephone-monitored HBCR exercise programme in improving the functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) in patients of CHF with reduced ejection fraction due to ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Method

This self-controlled interventional study was conducted from August 2019 to July 2020 at a heart failure clinic, a tertiary healthcare centre in Bangladesh. A total of 115 patients of CHF with ejection fraction <40% and in NYHA class II and III were included in the study according to selection criteria. The functional capacity of the patients was evaluated by NYHA classification and 6-minute walk test. The quality of life of the patients was evaluated by Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). All patients were advised to perform HBCR exercise as per recommended guideline and were telephone-monitored 2-weekly. After the 3-months study period, the participants were divided into compliant and partial compliant groups based on their adherence to the guideline. Repeat evaluation of patients' condition was carried out. Results were then compared within the groups and data was analyzed through appropriate statistical methods.

Results

Significant improvement of NYHA class (p<0.05), and 6-minute walk test distance (6MWTD) (1102.01±215.90 feet vs 1243.30±217.86 feet; p<0.001) were noticed after the rehabilitation programme. Improvement of total MLHFQ score was also observed (35.53±14 vs 28.22±12.84; p<0.001) at 3-months follow up. The functional capacity and quality of life of the patients in both the compliant and partially compliant groups showed significant improvement after the rehabilitation programme (p<0.001); though no difference was found in the indicators when compared between compliant vs partially compliant groups after rehabilitation except for 6MWTD (1302.86±219.61 feet vs 1230.71±212.284 feet, p<0.001).

Conclusion

From the results, it can be concluded that any amount of routine exercise tends to improve quality of life and symptoms in patients of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. However, to achieve the best effect in functional capacity and overall health status, the addition of a structured exercise programme like HBCR can be beneficial for proper rehabilitation in low resource settings. Further validation of the results is recommended through randomized control trials in larger study groups.

Comparison between Angiographic Findings of Coronary Artery Disease in STEMI and NSTEMI Patients of Bangladesh

Coronary Angiogram (CAG) has been used to detect coronary artery disease in myocardial infarction (both STEMI and NSTEMI) patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of coronary artery disease among STEMI and NSTEMI patients. Among acute coronary syndrome in NSTEMI we found more widespread coronary artery disease other than STEMI. Lack of documentations encouraged us to perform this study in our center. In this retrospective observational study we summarized all myocardial infarction (MI) patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) from August 2013 to August 2014 at Enam Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh and data of degree of coronary artery disease were recorded. Data of 100 consecutive MI patients who underwent CAG during that period were recorded. Among them 50 patients having STEMI as Group I (male 45, female 5) & other 50 patients sustained NSTEMI as Group II (male 38, female 12). Among NSTEMI patient group 80% were having multi-vessel disease and in STEMI patient group 80% having single vessel disease and remaining having multi-vessel disease. The degree of coronary artery disease is extensive in NSTEMI patients than in STEMI group. Coronary angiogram can visualize the degree of coronary artery involvement and is a useful screening modality to compare disease extent in MI patients.

Patterns of Coronary Artery Anomalous Origin Reviewed by Coronary Angiogram in a Cardiac Center of Bangladesh

Coronary Angiogarm (CAG) has been used to detect coronary artery anomalies. This cross sectional observational study aimed to assess the prevalence of anomalous origin of the coronary artery in the Bangladeshi patients. The researchers summarized responses of the target patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) from August 2010 to March 2011 in United Hospital Ltd., Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh and data of anomalous origin of the coronary artery in Bangladeshi patients were recorded. Eighteen hundred (1800) patients underwent CAG during that period; 66 patients with an anomalous origin of the coronary artery were detected, giving a prevalence of 3.6%. The prevalence of anomalous origin of the coronary artery in Bangladeshi people in this study is 3.6%. CAG can visualize the anomalous origin of the coronary artery and is a useful screening modality.