Effects of home-based exercise rehabilitation on anxiety in coronary heart disease patients after PCI

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of home-based exercise rehabilitation on anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) , and to improve both mental health and heart rehabilitation of the patients. Methods Totals of 108 patients who were diagnosed with CHD in Renmin hospital of Wuhan university and should have received PCI were recruited into the study from December 2013 to December 2015. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: intervention group (n=54) and control group (n=54). Based on the routine nursing care and discharged education, the intervention group also received home-based exercise rehabilitation with regular follow-up and supervision for exercise. The basic information, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and exercise situation were documented and assessed before the intervention, as well as three months and six months after the intervention. Results 48 patients in the experimental group and 46 patients in the control group completed the study. Within the group effect: the SAS had a significant difference (P 0.05). Within the time effect: both SAS and exercise related indicators demonstrated statistical differences between each time point (P 0.05). The intervention group patients performed better exercise compliance (i.e. frequency, duration, intensity, self-protection, warm-up and relaxation exercise) after a six-month intervention, compared with the compliance before the intervention (P<0.05) . Conclusions Home-based exercise rehabilitation can effectively alleviate patients' anxiety, and can also improve patients' cardiovascular function and reduce their blood pressure. The regular telephone follow-up and health education can better improve patients' adherence to the home-based exercise rehabilitation. Key words: Anxiety; Home-based exercise rehabilitation; Coronary heart disease; Percutaneous coronary intervention