Effect of early cardiac rehabilitation on prognosis in patients with heart failure following acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the effectiveness of early cardiac rehabilitation on patients with heart failure following acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-two patients who developed heart failure following acute myocardial infarction were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into heart failure with reduced ejection fraction group (n = 54) and heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction group (n = 178). Seventy-eight patients who accepted a two-week cardiac rehabilitation were further divided into two subgroups based on major adverse cardiovascular events. Key cardio-pulmonary exercise testing indicators that may affect the prognosis were identified among the cardiac rehabilitation patients. RESULTS: Early cardiac rehabilitation significantly reduced cardiac death and re-hospitalization in patients. There was more incidence of diabetes, hyperkalemia and low P(ET)CO(2) in the cardiac rehabilitation group who developed re-hospitalization. Low P(ET)CO(2) at anaerobic threshold (≤ 33.5 mmHg) was an independent risk factor for re-hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Early cardiac rehabilitation reduced major cardiac events in patients with heart failure following acute myocardial infarction. The lower P(ET)CO(2) at anaerobic threshold is an independent risk factor for re-hospitalization, and could be used as a evaluating hallmark for early cardiac rehabilitation.