PR_026Does Cardiac Rehabilitation Improve the Cardiac Profile of Patients With Metabolic Syndrome?

Objective: To evaluate the effects of phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation on functional capacity, body mass index (BMI), and plasma lipid levels of cardiac disease patients with and without metabolic syndrome. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation. Participants: 150 men with cardiac disease. Group 1: 97 patients with metabolic syndrome (age, 63.9±8.2y; BMI, 31.9±4.9kg/m2); and group 2: 53 patients without metabolic syndrome (control) (age, 68.2±8.5y; BMI, 27.1±3.6 kg/m2). Intervention: 60 minutes of supervised phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation, thrice weekly for 10 weeks, to achieve target heart rates according to the Karvonen method. Main Outcome Measures: Functional capacity, BMI, and lipid levels before and after cardiac rehabilitation were compared using the t test. Results: Cardiac rehabilitation improved functional capacity of both groups (group 1: from 4.9±1.9 to 6.5±2.2 metabolic equivalents [METS], P