Is cardiac rehab beneficial following percutaneous coronary intervention?

January 01, 0001

Is cardiac rehab beneficial following percutaneous coronary intervention?

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to be linked with reduced mortality following myocardial infarction. These US researcher examined whether there was such a benefit following percutaneous coronary intervention. They performed a retrospectively analyzed data from a registry patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in Olmsted County, Minnesota (n=2395). Statistical techniques utilized included propensity score-matched analysis, propensity score stratification, and regression adjustment with propensity score.

The researchers found: "During a median follow-up of 6.3 years, 503 deaths (199 cardiac), 394 myocardial infarctions, and 755 revascularization procedures occurred in the study subjects. Participation in CR, noted in 40% (964 of 2395) of the cohort, was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality by all 3 statistical techniques (hazard ratio). A trend toward decreased cardiac mortality was also observed in CR participants. However, no effect was observed for subsequent myocardial infarction or revascularization. The association between CR participation and reduced mortality rates was similar for men and women, for older and younger patients, and for patients undergoing elective or nonelective percutaneous coronary intervention."

The researchers concluded: "We found that CR participation after percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with a significant reduction in mortality rates. These findings add support to published clinical practice guidelines, performance measures, and insurance coverage policies that recommend CR for patients after percutaneous coronary intervention."

This study finds evidence of a mortality benefit for cardiac rehabilitation following percutaneous coronary intervention.

For the full abstract, click here.

Circulation 123(21): 2344-2352, 31 May 2011 © 2011 American Heart Association, Inc.
Impact of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Mortality and Cardiovascular Events After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Kashish Goel, Ryan J. Lennon, R. Thomas Tilbury, Ray W. Squires, and Randal J. Thomas. Correspondence to Randal J Thomas: [email protected]

Category: K. Circulatory. Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation, percutaneous coronary intervention, mortality, cardiovascular risk, myocardial infarction, cohort If there are field you can’t fill in e.g.authoremail just leave blank If you can, paste in as unformatted text…sometimes formatting stuffs up things, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 5 July 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.