Effects of phase III cardiac rehabilitation on mortality and cardiovascular events in elderly patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has numerous benefits, including reduction of mortality and cardiovascular events, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the long-term effect of phase III CR in elderly patients with stable CAD is still unknown.

Methods And Results: The 111 elderly male CAD patients (>or=65 years), including 37 subjects participating in supervised CR for 6 months and 74 age-matched controls, were analyzed.

Relationship between exercise tolerance and muscle strength following cardiac rehabilitation: comparison of patients after cardiac surgery and patients with myocardial infarction.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves exercise tolerance and muscle strength in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and in patients after cardiac surgery. However, the association between exercise tolerance and muscular strength following CR and the comparison of relationships among various disease categories has not been fully examined. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between exercise tolerance and muscle strength following CR in patients after cardiac surgery and patients with MI.

Effects of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with metabolic syndrome after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has numerous beneficial effects, including the modification of coronary risk factors and improvement of the prognosis, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Limited data are available regarding the effects of CR on the physical status and risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods And Results: We enrolled 32 patients with MetS after CABG, who participated in a supervised CR program for 6 months.

Prevention of disuse muscular weakness by restriction of blood flow.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of periodic restriction of blood flow to lower extremities with those of isometric exercise on disuse muscular atrophy and weakness induced by immobilization and unloading.

Methods: The left ankle of each of 15 healthy males was immobilized for 2 wk using cast, and subjects were instructed to walk using crutches with non-weight bearing during this period. Subjects were divided into three groups: a restriction of blood flow (RBF) group (application of external compressive force of 200 mm Hg for 5 min followed by 3 min of rest, repeated five times in a single session, two sessions per day for 14 d); an isometric training (IMT) group (20 "exercises" of 5-s isometric contraction of the knee extensor, flexor, and ankle plantar flexor muscles followed by rest, twice a day, daily for 2 wk); and a control (CON) group (no intervention).

Effect of resistance exercise training combined with relatively low vascular occlusion.

Previous studies have demonstrated that a low-intensity resistance exercise, combined with vascular occlusion, results in a marked increase in muscular size and strength. We investigated the optimal pressure for reduction of muscle blood flow with resistance exercise to increase the muscular strength and endurance. Twenty-one subjects were randomly divided into four groups by the different application of vascular occlusion pressure at the proximal of thigh: without any pressure (0-pressure group), with a pressure of 50mmHg (50-pressure group), with a pressure of 150mmHg (150-pressure group), and with a pressure of 250mmHg (250-pressure group).