Effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention at a tertiary care hospital: A pilot intervention study

Abstract

Background: Secondary prevention strategies, including structured cardiac rehabilitation (CR), following myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary interventions may reduce the burden of mortality and recurrent morbidity. Objective: The objective of the study is to examine the effect of an adapted model of CR in patients who had experienced MI and had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in an Indian tertiary care hospital setting. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental design using control group and pre-test was used with patients post-MI and PCI. Fifty patients were allocated to CR intervention group for 12 weeks of intervention care compared with 51 patients in standard routine care control group. Results: After the 12-week program, participants in intervention group revealed a significant increase in coronary artery disease-related knowledge (P < 0.001), 6-minute walk test distance (P < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein (P < 0.05). The level of physical activity was significantly higher in the intervention group in terms of mean duration of moderate or vigorous physical activity (P < 0.05) as well as mean of 10-minutes' continuous physical activity time at or above a moderate level (P < 0.01). Furthermore, depression levels (P < 0.05) and levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the intervention group. There were no changes observed in these parameters in the control group. Conclusion: CR is feasible and effective as it potentially improved health in patients who have experienced MI and had undergone PCI at a tertiary care hospital. Barriers may be recognized which might hinder participation in CR in Indian settings.

Keywords

• Cardiac rehabilitation
• myocardial infarction
• percutaneous coronary intervention
• secondary prevention