Effects of real-time remote cardiac rehabilitation on exercise capacity and quality of life: a quasi-randomised controlled trial

• Published in: BMC geriatrics 2023-06, Vol.23 (1), p.388-388, Article 388
• Main Authors: Fukuta, Yoshitatsu, Arizono, Shinichi, Tanaka, Shinichiro, Kawaguchi, Tomonori, Tsugita, Natsumi, Fuseya, Takahiro, Magata, Junichi, Tawara, Yuichi, Segawa, Tomonori
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Cardiac Rehabilitation - methods; Cardiovascular diseases; Electrocardiography; Exercise; Exercise Test; Exercise Therapy - methods; Exercise Tolerance; Health aspects; Humans; Medical care, Cost of; Peak oxygen uptake; Prevention; Quality of Life; Remote cardiac rehabilitation; Risk factors; World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04113-8

The impact of real-time remote cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on health and disability-related outcomes and its correlation with physical function are unknown. We compared the effectiveness of real-time remote CR with that of hospital-based CR on physical function improvement and physical functions of improvement (Δ) to clarify the relationship between health and disability at baseline. Patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were enrolled (n = 38) in this quasi-randomised controlled trial and underwent 4 weeks of hospital-based CR, followed by 12 weeks of remote or hospital-based CR based on quasi-randomised allocation. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of remote or hospital-based CR using the shortened version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) for subjective satisfaction, WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS2.0-J) for objective performance, and cardiopulmonary exercise test for physical function and peak oxygen uptake (peak VO ). The trends in measured variables from baseline to the post-CR stage were analysed. Sixteen patients (mean age, 72.2 ± 10.4 years) completed remote CR, and 15 patients (mean age, 77.3 ± 4.8 years) completed hospital-based CR. The post-CR physical function differed significantly between the groups (Δ VO , 2.8 ± 3.0 versus 0.84 ± 1.8 mL·min ·kg ; p