[The influence of the outpatient cardiologic rehabilitation on the physical fitness at patients after a STEMI]

Abstract

Myocardial infraction, sudden cardiac death next is one of the most serious clinical demonstrations of ischaemic heart diseases. It is characterized by an irreversible destruction (necrosis) of a part of cardiac muscle, caused by severe narrowing or blood clot (thrombosis) in the lumen of coronary arteries. The long-term, systematic and individually selected program of the physical rehabilitation has a beneficial effect to the improvement in the physical fitness at patients, after an myocardial infarction. The aim of this work was to examine the influence of the outpatient, cardiological rehabilitation on the physical fitness and the normalization of the arterial pressure at patients after STEMI, treated with methods of invasive cardiology, and determining effects of the rehabilitation.

Material and methods: The study included 108 patients (93 men and 15 women). An average age of patients was 53. Examined patients were divided into 2 groups: rehabilitated (55 people) and control (53 people). The program of the cardiologic rehabilitation included 24 forty-minute training sessions, for 2-3 times during the week. Every training session spread through 10 minutes of the general keep-fit exercise (warm-up), 24 minutes of the ride on cycloergometer (intervallic training) with submaximal load adjusted individually for every patient, under the constant electrocardiographic scrutiny of the action of the heart, and 6 minutes of respiratory exercises. The criterion of intensity of a physical effort was determined on the basis of a Bruce test according to on the level of the 70% of the maximum limit of the heart rate. The rehabilitation lasted about 3 months.

Results: Obtained findings show that the outpatient, cardiologic rehabilitation has a beneficial effect for the improvement in the physical fitness and the decrease in value of the rest arterial pressure at patients after STEMI. Examinations show the increase of the maximum load (max MET'S) and longer duration of the exercise test.

Conclusions: Above findings confirm the effectiveness of the cardiological rehabilitation, although they are not spectacular. Perhaps if they increase the frequency and intensity and number of training sessions, the results would be more significant.