Impact of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation on attitude to the therapy, aims in life and professional work in patients after myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation aims to restore pathophysiological and psychosocial consequences of myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of the study was to assess how exercise-only-based cardiac rehabilitation (ECR) influences the attitude to the therapy (ATT), to the aims in life and professional work (AAL) amongst men and women after MI.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 44 post-MI patients: 28 men and 16 women, mean age 58±10 years old, referred to ECR. Patients underwent 24 interval cycle ergometer trainings 3 times a week. At the beginning and after the training program (TP) each patient underwent exercise stress test (EST) and was scored to ATT and ALL based on the <i>Psychological Effects of Rehabilitation Score Scale</i> (PERSS) according to Tylka and Makowska. The analysis covered: 1) EST findings: maximal workload and test duration (min), 2) ATT and AAL based on PERSS, 3) resuming professional work.

RESULTS: Exercise capacity improved significantly after TP. Attitude to the aims in life and professional work significantly increased in the whole group (4.4±2.8 vs. 5.1±2.4, p < 0.01) and separately in men (4.5±2.9 vs. 5.1±2.5, p < 0.05) and women (4.3±2.6 vs. 5.0±2.0, p < 0.05). Attitude to the therapy did not change significantly in the whole group (5.6±2.8 vs. 6.0±2.8) and in men (5.9±2.9 vs. 6.0±2.9), but increased significantly in women (5.0±2.5 vs. 6.1±2.7, p < 0.05). Professional work was resumed, averagely by 86.4% of all patients (85.7% men and 87.5% women).

CONCLUSIONS: Physical training beneficially influenced post-MI men's and women's attitude to the aims in life, professional work and attitude to the therapy in women. Med Pr 2019;70(1).