Evaluation of cardio respiratory efficiency in patients with coronary artery disease: An experience of the first cardiac rehabilitation in Morocco

Abstract

Cardiac rehabilitation consists of measures that allow patients to recover their functional capacity through physical exercise and secondary prevention measures. The aim of our study is to evaluate cardio respiratory efficiency in patients with coronary artery disease. Its a prospective study included 110 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) admitted in Cardiac Rehabilitation unit, Cardiology centre, Mohammed V Military Hospital, Rabat, Morocco, all of them had a clinical examination, an electrocardiogram, biological test, Echocardiography and Ergospirometry. The average age of patients was 57,29 ± 10,1 years with male predominance (87%), they have more than three cardiovascular risk factors dominated by smoking and hypertension, they were overweight with an average BMI (26,56 ± 7,3 kg/m 2 ), clinical examination was normal and Transthoracic Echocardiography showed preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (EF: 51,87 ± 12,3%). After 20 sessions of cardiac rehabilitation, patients stopped smoking, they have a best quality of life, they showed lower BMI (24,04 ± 9,3 kg/m 2 ), a significant higher maximal work load (from 101,13 ± 32,1 to 130,37 ± 41,7 watts, P = 0,01) and a significant higher VO2max (from 27,5 ± 5,1 to 35,16 ± 8,36 ml/kg/min, P = 0,02). This study demonstrated that cardiac rehabilitation is clearly benefit for patients with coronary artery disease to improve their exercise capacity and reduce their cardio vascular risk factors.