Back ground Regular exercise training program has been shown to reduce mortality, improve functional capacity and control risk factors in myocardial infarcted patients. Wall motion score index (WMSI) is a strong independent mortality predicator in patient with previous MI AIM The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of exercise training on regional left ventricular systolic function, in patients post anterior myocardial infarction. using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging Methods We recruited twenty-six adult patients on optimal medical therapy one month after an anterior myocardial infarction underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were assigned to a three-month exercise training program group or to a control group, (control group: n = 10, training group: n = 16). Symptom limited treadmill exercise (Modified Bruce Protocol) test was done to exercise training group before and repeated after finishing the CR program. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) was performed for all patients 4 weeks after PCI and was repeated after completion of the study period that was lasted for 12 weeks. Results A total number of patients, included 26 (100%) males, assigned to control group n:10 without an exercise mean age 50± 8 years, weigh 84 ±17 kg, height 175±7.7 cm and EF was 36.62 ±14.23 and to training group n:16 with 3-months exercise training program, the mean age, weight, height and EF were 50.19±8.68 years, 82.69±16 kg, 172.81±7.74 cm, 36.62±14.32% respectively While there was significant improvement in EF (P < 0.0008), WMSI (P < 0.00003) without significant change in LVESV and LVEDV in exercise training group, there was no significant change in EF, WMSI, LVESV and LVEDV in control group. Conclusion CMR revealed that exercise training in post-myocardial infarction patients could have beneficial effects on LV global and regional function without adversely affecting LV remodeling or causing serious cardiac complications with significant improvement in exercise capacity after 3 months of exercise training program.

Background Improvement of functional capacity and mortality reduction in post-MI patients were found to be associated with regular exercise training. The cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the most accurate non-invasive modality in quantitative assessment of left ventricular (LV) volumes and systolic functions. Our main objective was to investigate the impact of exercise training on LV systolic functions in patients post anterior MI using CMR. 32 patients on recommended medical treatment 4 week after having a successful primary PCI for an anterior MI were recruited, between May 2018 and May 2019. They were divided into two groups, training group (TG): 16 assigned to a 12 week exercise training program and control group (CG): 16 who received medical treatment without participating in the exercise training program. Treadmill exercise using modified Bruce protocol was done to TG before and after the training program in order to record the resting and maximum HR, metabolic equivalent (MET), and calculate HR reserve. CMR was performed for all patients 4 weeks after PCI and was repeated after completion of the study period to calculate ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), and wall motion score index (WMSI). Results 100% were males. 6 patients from CG dropped during follow-up, no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding age, BMI, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. Using the CMR, the TG showed significant improvement in EF (36.6 ± 14.2% to 43.1 ± 12.4%; P < 0.001) and WMSI (2.03 ± 0.57 to 1.7 ± 0.49; P < 0.001), without statistically significant change in LV volumes. Regarding CG no significant changes in EF, WMSI, LV volumes were found. There was significant improvement in EF and WMSI change before and after study in TG vs. CG [6.5 (2.3–9.0) vs. − 2.0 (− 6.8 to 1.3), P value < 0.001] and [− 0.3 (− 0.5 to 0.1) vs. 0.1 (− 0.1 to − 0.5), P value 0.001] respectively. Conclusions 12 weeks of exercise training program in post-MI patients have a favorable impact on LV global and regional systolic functions without adversely affecting LV remodeling (as assessed by CMR).