AGE-WISE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM GROUP EXERCISE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE

Background: It is still unknown whether long-term cardiac rehabilitation involving physical training is safe and effective for aged persons with ischemic heart disease. In this paper, the effectiveness of group cardiac sports rehabilitation was analyzed in relation to the ages of patients using treadmill and Tl-201-scintigraphic testing. Methods: One hundred seventeen patients with ischemic heart disease were divided into four groups: group I (56 years of age or less, n = 17), group II (51 to 60 years of age, n = 46), group III (61 to 70 years of age, n = 39), and group IV (71 years of age or more, n = 15). Treadmill exercise testing was performed in all of the patients before and after more than 3 months of cardiac sports rehabilitation, and Tl-201-scintigraphic testing was done in 40 of the patients. Results: Treadmill testing showed that exercise time and double products (blood pressure times heart rate) increased significantly with time throughout the 6-month period in groups I, II, and III (P<0.05); however, exercise time and double product for group IV did not increase significantly. In the final stage of rehabilitation, exercise time improved significantly more in groups I and II than groups III and IV (group I vs group III, P<0.01; group I vs group IV, P<0.05; group II vs group III, P<0.01; group II vs group IV, P<0.02); however, percent increase of double products did not differ significantly among the four age groups. Tl-201-scintigraphic study did not show any worsening of myocardial perfusion in the aged groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that exercise time and double products improve less in persons more than 70 years of age in our cardiac sports rehabilitation program. However, during this period of rehabilitation worsening of ischemic heart disease was not seen. Cardiac sports rehabilitation for aged patients is safe, but minimal improvement of exercise time and double products is expected.