Rehabilitation outcomes following percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI)

This prospective study evaluated the effect of an individualized, comprehen sive, home-based cardiac rehabilitation program combining exercise training with risk factor modification and psychosocial counseling on risk factors, psychological wellbeing, functional capacity, and work resumption in 99 po st-percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) patients randomized to control (standard care plus telephone follow-up, n = 49) or intervention (individu alized, comprehensive, home-based cardiac rehabilitation, n = 50) groups. D ata were collected at time 1 (T-1) during hospital admission, time 2 (T-2) approximately 2 months post-PCI, and time 3 (T-3) approximately 12 months p ost-PCI. Results suggest that the allocation to an individualized, comprehe nsive, home-based cardiac rehabilitation program provided more advantageous outcomes. At both follow-ups, the intervention group showed within-group i mprovement in serum cholesterol levels (P < 0.02; P < 0.01) and exercise pa rticipation (P < 0.001; P < 0.001) with differences in exercise participati on favoring the intervention group (P < 0.01) at T-2 Repeated measures ANOV A showed significant improvements over time in body mass index (BMI) (P < 0 .01), psychological well-being (P < 0.001), and functional capacity (P < 0. 001) for both groups. More patients in the intervention group had returned to work at T-2 (P < 0.001) and did so more quickly (P < 0.01). These findin gs suggest that an individualized, comprehensive, home-based cardiac rehabi litation program improves risk factor profiles and work resumption patterns for patients following PCI. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rig hts reserved.