Long-term cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training programs improve metabolic parameters in metabolic syndrome patients with and without coronary heart disease

Background and aimsThe effectiveness of long-term cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training programs on metabolic parameters was evaluated in metabolic syndrome subjects with and without coronary heart disease (CHD).Methods and resultsFifty-nine CHD and 81 non-coronary patients with metabolic syndrome (59 ± 8 vs 56 ± 9 years) were identified retrospectively at entry into identical cardiac rehabilitation and exercise-training programs. Metabolic syndrome was defined using modified Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Exercise training occurred approximately twice per week. Metabolic and exercise testing data were collected at baseline and after 12 months during the course of the program. Mean duration of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training programs was over one year in both coronary and non-coronary patients (366 ± 111 vs 414 ± 102 days for CHD and non-coronary CHD cohorts respectively, p < 0.01). Significant improvements in bodyweight, body mass index, blood lipids, triglyceride/HDL ratio and exercise tolerance were noted in both cohorts. At the end of follow-up, 31% of CHD and 20% of non-CHD subjects no longer possessed diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001 respectively).ConclusionsA long-term cardiac rehabilitation program reduces metabolic syndrome prevalence in CHD patients and results in a similar improvement in risk factor control for metabolic syndrome patients without CHD.