Can cardiac rehabilitation fix a broken heart? Effect of aerobic exercise on myocardial function in patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review

Abstract

The benefits of an exercise-based cardiovascular rehabilitation program were well manifested. Psychological aspects of quality of life are important in secondary prevention and quality of life is considerably affected, especially during the initial recovery phase after a cardiac event. A supervised exercise programme should be included in the standard rehabilitation protocol for patients recuperating after myocardial infarction since regularly supervised and prolonged aerobic exercise training improves cardiorespiratory fitness, psychological status, and quality of life and enhances exercise tolerance in patients of all ages, including those older than 75 years and as old as 86 years, who have been excluded from most randomised controlled trials. Modification of lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, eating abundant quantities of fats, sedentary habits, and methods of dealing with stress, can significantly reduce risk of coronary heart disease. Exercise training has a marked effect on the functional status of the patients with acute myocardial infarction and rehabilitation after such an event is aimed at speeding up the patient’s return to an active and productive life. Exercise-based programmes have been shown not to only affect physical exercise capacity. They also have implication on every day life by positively affecting the musculoskeletal system, improving osteoporosis, joint flexibility, muscle strength and endurance as well as balance.