To assess the benefits of regular participation in a medically supervised cardiac rehabilitation program, 22 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass (2 groups of 11 each) were studied retrospectively. Group I (mean age 53 years) was currently enrolled in the rehabilitation program. Group II (mean age 56 years) had begun but had discontinued the program. The stated reasons for discontinuation were not medical. There was no difference in entry exercise tests, and presurgical catheterization data in both groups were comparable. Mean peak oxygen consumption (VO2) by modified Douglas bag technique, heart rate X systolic blood pressure product, and treadmill duration time were recorded in a single testing period. Results revealed that Group I had higher peak VO2 (30 ml/kg/min) than Group II (24) (p less than 0.005) and greater treadmill time (11 minutes) than Group II (8) (p less than 0.01). Nine of 11 subjects in Group I were fully employed, versus 4 of 11 in Group II (p less than 0.01). One of 11 subjects in Group I had been rehospitalized versus 5 in Group II. None in Group I but 4 of 11 subjects in Group II smoked. Thus, based on the sampling and methodology of this study, it is concluded that coronary artery bypass patients in rehabilitation programs have greater peak VO2 and treadmill test time, smoke less, are less often rehospitalized, and are more often fully employed than those who are not in such programs.
Adult Aged