NEW ORLEANS -- Coronary artery disease patients younger than 55 reap a greater benefit from formal cardiac rehab and exercise training than those who are older, found a study here.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 25 -- Coronary artery disease patients younger than 55 reap a greater benefit from formal cardiac rehab and exercise training than those who are older, found a study here.
After completing the 12-week program younger patients achieved significant improvement in body mass index (P
In addition to exercise, daily lectures and group sessions were directed by a licensed nurse, an exercise physiologist, or a dietitian, emphasizing all aspects of coronary artery disease and prevention.
At baseline, body mass indices were 12.2% higher in younger patients than older patients, (P
But they pointed out that the rates of psychological factors reported in this study match up well with rates reported in other published studies.
They concluded that their data make the case that age-specifically youth-should not be a barrier to routine referral for cardiac rehabilitation for all coronary artery disease patients.