Physical and psychological improvements after phase II cardiac rehabilitation in patients with myocardial infarction

Abstract

We have designed a new 4-week hospitalized phase II cardiac rehabilitation program. The purpose of the present study is to clarify whether the physical and psychological status of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) improves after participation in our program. Twenty-nine patients (27 males, two females) with acute MI who enrolled in the 4-week hospitalized phase II rehabilitation program were assessed. All patients enrolled in this study had received coronary interventions. The rehabilitation consisted of exercise training, education and counseling. We evaluated the physical and psychological status of the patients before and just after the program, and at a 6-month follow up. The physical status was assessed by exercise tolerance measured by the peak oxygen consumption and anaerobic threshold, frequency of exercise, and serum concentrations of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. The psychological status was assessed by the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory questionnaire (STAI) and the self-rating questionnaire for depression (SRQ-D). Thirty-four patients (27 men, seven women) with MI who did not participate in our rehabilitation program served as a control group. After participation in our rehabilitation program, exercise tolerance and the serum lipid profiles of the patients were improved compared with those before rehabilitation. These parameters had improved significantly 6 months after rehabilitation. The STAI anxiety score was improved significantly and the SRQ-D depression score tended to be improved just after the rehabilitation program. Regular physical activity was continued even 6 months after the completion of the program. Our hospitalized phase II cardiac rehabilitation program improved the management of cardiac risk factors and the psychological status in patients with MI. This comprehensive program may contribute to the secondary prevention of MI as well as the recovery of physical and psychological activities.

Effects of exercise and weight loss on depressive symptoms among men and women with hypertension

“…Mechanisms by which exercise may reduce depressive symptoms by affecting changes in central monoamines, increasing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation, altering endorphin levels, increasing positive self-evaluations, and by enhancing cardiopulmonary functioning. Improved aerobic capacity assessed by VO 2 peak has been associated with improvement in depression in several previous studies among both cardiac patients [18,19,47] and healthy patients [48,49]. Recent studies have shown that decreased aerobic capacity predicts increased levels of depressive symptoms as early as two weeks following exercise withdrawal among healthy individuals [50].…”

Longitudinal Course of Depressive Symptomatology After a Cardiac Event: Effects of Gender and Cardiac Rehabilitation

“…CR does not relate to decreased symptomatology for all participants, however, because one study reported that although just less than one half of participants experienced reduced depression, approximately one quarter became more depressed, and one third remained unchanged (22). Another study found that depression was improved only in the short-term after CR (23).…”

Psychosocial experiences in the context of life-threatening illness: The cardiac rehabilitation patient

“…These benefits of exercise contribute to secondary prevention of recurring cardiac events (Yoshida et al, 1999). Stauber and coworkers found it likely that patients were able to feel less pain during exercise and increase their maximum walking distance due to the effects of a positive outlook, support from family and friends, and cardiac rehabilitation, and were thus able to increase the distance they were able to walk and reduce body mass index (BMI) (Stauber et al, 2013).…”