Effect of phase III cardiac rehabilitation and relaxation on the quality of life in patients with cardiac syndrome X

BACKGROUND: Cardiac syndrome X is a relatively common disorder, and still not much is known about the causative factors or its pathophysiology, which makes it difficult to cure. Due to its chronic nature and debilitating symptoms, many patients have significantly reduced quality of life (QOL).The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of phase III cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and relaxation on the QOL of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research is a randomized clinical trial study. Forty eligible and consenting women (age 30-65 years) were randomly assigned to four groups. In the first group (n = 11), progressive muscle relaxation (PMR); in the second group (n = 11), phase III CR; and in the third group (n = 11), PMR along with phase III CR were performed for 8 weeks at home. The fourth group (n = 7) was used as the control group. Short form of QOL questionnaire (SF-36) was used for data gathering. Data analysis was performed using χ(2), Kruskal-Wallis, and rank sum difference tests. RESULTS: After phase III CR, relaxation, and combination of CR and relaxation, patients demonstrated improved QOL (P < 0.001). The results of post-test multiple comparisons showed that there were statistically significant differences between control and all intervention groups (P < 0.05). There was also statistically significant difference between relaxation and combination of phase III CR and relaxation groups (P < 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: An 8-week phase III CR program together with relaxation improved QOL of patients with cardiac syndrome X. We suggest phase III CR program together with relaxation as an effective treatment in these patients.