Ventilatory strategies in the six-minute walk test in older patients receiving a three-week rehabilitation programme after cardiac surgery through median sternotomy.

Background: Although the six-minute walk test (6MWT) is widely used in cardiac rehabilitation, little is known about the ventilatory strategies adopted by older patients who have recently undergone median sternotomy, in order to meet the increased metabolic demand in the 6MWT.

Methods: Using a portable gas-analyser we assessed the breathing patterns in the 6MWT before and after a 3-week rehabilitation programme in 84 older patients, 58 men and 26 women, mean age 71 years (standard deviation (SD) 6 years), who had undergone median sternotomy.

Results: After rehabilitation, patients increased end-test ventilation (33.

The improvement of walking speed after cardiac rehabilitation is associated with the reduction in the metabolic cost of walking in older persons.

Background: To walk a given distance older persons consume more metabolic energy than younger adults across all speeds. As physical activity interventions improve a variety of physical performance measures in older persons, including walking speed, in this study we hypothesized that the improvement of walking speed might be associated with the reduction of the metabolic cost of walking and we tested our hypothesis in a selected sample of older patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation.

Methods: In 120 patients (88 men and 32 women, mean age 74.

Postacute rehabilitation after coronary surgery: the effect of preoperative physical activity on the incidence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Objective: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery. AF may also occur after hospital discharge during postacute rehabilitation. Several studies have addressed the AF that occurs in the hospital after surgery, and predictors have already been identified.

Effects of a structured physical activity intervention on measures of physical performance in frail elderly patients after cardiac rehabilitation: a pilot study with 1-year follow-up.

The objective of this prospective randomized controlled study was to compare the long-term effects of a structured physical activity intervention with those of aerobic exercises alone, in a cohort of elderly patients who had undergone elective cardiac surgery, and who were classified as frail at the end of rehabilitation based on their Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score. At the end of rehabilitation, 140 frail elderly patients were randomly allocated either to the intervention group (IG) or to the control group (CG). CG participants received the usual aerobic exercise prescription, while IG participants were also taught additional exercises for strength, flexibility, balance and coordination.

Oxygen uptake kinetics in older patients receiving postacute cardiac rehabilitation: effects of low-intensity aerobic training.

Objective: Older patients who receive postacute cardiac rehabilitation improve their physical performance in terms of distance walked at the 6-min walk test. However, the slower and more complicated recovery, along with age-related chronic comorbidities, remarkably limits the intensity of aerobic training, which actually represents the core of cardiac rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to verify whether postacute cardiac rehabilitation also improves the cardiovascular adjustment to exercise, despite low-intensity aerobic training.

One-year adherence to exercise in elderly patients receiving postacute inpatient rehabilitation after cardiac surgery.

Objective: Promoting an active lifestyle through an appropriate physical exercise prescription is one of the major targets of cardiac rehabilitation. However, information on the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in promoting lifestyle changes in elderly patients is still scant.

Design: In 131 patients over the age of 65 yrs (86 men, and 45 women, mean age 75 yrs +/- 6 SD) who have attended postacute inpatient cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery, we tested the 1-yr adherence to the physical exercise prescription received at the end of the cardiac rehabilitation by using a questionnaire on physical activity and the 6-min walk test.

Left-ventricular function and physical performance on the 6-min walk test in older patients after inpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

Objective: The 6-min walk test (6mWT) is widely used to assess physical performance in cardiac rehabilitation settings. Factors affecting the walked distance before starting physical training have been described, whereas information on factors affecting the increase of the walked distance after physical training is still scant. The aim of this study was to verify, in a large sample of elderly patients soon after cardiac surgery, the role of left-ventricular function (LVF) in increases in distances walked after an intensive rehabilitation program.

Early and late rehabilitation and physical training in elderly patients after cardiac surgery.

Objective: Few randomized trials have enrolled patients who have undergone cardiac surgery, and even fewer have included patients aged 75 yrs or more. Furthermore, the optimal timing of cardiac rehabilitation for postsurgical patients has not yet been codified. The aim of this study was to verify whether rehabilitation outcomes are also favorable in postsurgical patients aged 75 yrs or more and whether an early rehabilitation program is as effective and safe as a late one.