A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of resistance exercise therapy on the prognosis of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention

Background: Exercise rehabilitation therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can accelerate physical recovery, improve cardiovascular work efficiency, and reduce the incidence of arterial restenosis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of resistance exercise therapy after PCI by literature search and meta-analysis. Methods: The databases of Embase, Cochrane library, PubMed, and Ovid were searched for all published English language articles related to resistance exercise after PCI from January 2000 to January 2021. After screening the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessing the risk of bias, RevMan 5.4 software was used to analyze and obtain a forest plot and funnel plot. Results: A total of 7 articles were included in this study for quantitative analysis, involving 776 patients all together. Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional intervention methods, resistance exercise could reduce the maximum exercise load after PCI [mean difference (MD) =-25.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): -31.97 to -18.57, Z=7.39, P<0.00001], reduce the peak oxygen consumption of exercise after PCI (MD =-2.36, 95% CI: -3.09 to -1.64, Z=6.42, P<0.00001), increase left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; MD =4.06, 95% CI: 0.72 to 7.40, Z=2.38, P=0.02), increase the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD; MD =18.23, 95% CI: 0.22 to 36.23, Z=1.98, P=0.05), and improve the quality of life of patients after surgery (MD =5.81, 95% CI: 1.49 to 10.14, Z=2.63, P=0.008). Discussion: Resistance training can improve the physical activity, cardiac function, and quality of life of patients after PCI.