REHABILITATION OF WOMEN WITH A HISTORY OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCT

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation on physical capacity and heart function in post-myocardial infarction women and to compare it to the results of rehabilitation in a group of post-infraction men. Methods: The study included 27 women aged between 43 and 75 years (mean age 62 ± 8.51 years) and 34 men between 46 and 74 years of age (mean age 63 ± 8.4 years) who suffered a myocardial infarction, were treated in a hospital, and afterwards participated in cardiac rehabilitation. The following tests were performed prior to and after 24 one-hour sessions of physical training: assessment of the ejection fraction, treadmill MET levels test for the evaluation of effort tolerance, estimation of perceived exertion using the Borg scale, level of heart failure in NYHA classification, intensity of stenocardial pain in CCS, and BMI. The obtained results were compared and analysed using statistical methods. Results: MET-measured physical capacity increased significantly from 4.30 ± 2.61 to 6.36 ± 2.21 (P < .001) in women and from 5.85 ± 2.60 to 8.38 ± 2.57 (P < .001) in men. Ejection fraction also increased from 59.69% ± 9.07 to 61.91% ± 10.41 (P < .05) in women, and from 54.12% ± 10.44 to 56.09 % ± 9.64 (P < .05) in men. In both groups, deterioration of heart failure or intensification of stenocardial pain was not observed. In women, the level of perceived exertion scored in the Borg scale decreased from 14.11 ± 1.09 to 13.7 ± 1.14 (P < .05). In contrast, no significant changes in the level of perceived exertion were documented in men. Conclusions: Following cardiac rehabilitation, increased physical capacity and improved left ventricle systolic function was observed in both men and women.