BACKGROUND: Supervised exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) have been suggested to all patients, especially after myocardial infarction. However, the effects of cardiac rehabilitation on systolic function are controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week cardiac rehabilitation on left ventricular systolic function and left ventricular mass in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and revascularization. METHODS: This study included 29 men with MI after reperfusion therapy, ie, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The patients were randomized into a training group (n = 15, mean age 54.2 +/- 9.04 years) and a control group (n = 14, mean age 51.71 +/- 6.98 years). The training group performed 8 weeks of CRP with an intensity of 60 to 85% of maximum heart rate, 3 times a week. Each session lasted for 60 minutes. Before and at the end of the study, all patients underwent 2-dimentional echocardiography for left ventricular systolic function and left ventricular mass to be assessed. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of CRP, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased significantly in the training group (48.53 +/- 10.41 versus 59.13 +/- 5.90; p < 0.001). Moreover, the difference in LVEF between the training and control groups were significant after the course (59.13 +/- 5.90 versus 55.90 +/- 9.60; p < 0.001). In addition, stroke volume increased significantly (57.22 +/- 7.84 ml versus 64.03 +/- 12.80 ml; p < 0.001) while left ventricular systolic volume decreased significantly (42.89 +/- 17.32 ml versus 31.00 +/- 8.34 ml; p < 0.001) in the training group. CRP was decreased left ventricular mass in the training group (229 +/- 42 versus 196 +/- 34; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A 2-month CRP in post-MI patients led to improvements in systolic function and reductions in left ventricular mass and thus cardiomegaly.

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