The Impact of Cardiac Rehabilitation on CVD Risk Factors in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Patients with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from cardiac diseases than those without this diagnosis. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is known to improve the physical functioning and reduce risk factors in cardiac patients with diabetes. The aim of this study is to evaluate if cardiac patients with comorbidity of diabetes had improved physical functioning (measured by six-minute walk test [6MWT]) and reduced risk factors (measured reduced fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, overweight, fat composition) after the cardiac rehabilitation program. A retrospective observational cohort longitudinal study using secondary data from electronic medical records was conducted. Clinical data were collected from the individual cardiac treatment plan form used by a cardiac rehabilitation center. Among 93 patients, improvement in physical functioning (i.e.: six-minute walk distance) was significant (p-value = <.01). This was done by comparing pre and post 6MWT scores.