Low levels of physical fitness increase the risk of death in patients with cardiovascular disease. Although cardiac rehabilitation programs improve the health of patients after heart surgery, most patients are not referred until after surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if an exercise "pre-habilitation" (i.e., Prehab) program before heart surgery would improve the health of patients before surgery and whether these improvements would be maintained after surgery. The investigators hypothesized that Prehab would promote the health of patients before heart surgery, and these improvements would be maintained three months post-operatively, as compared to patients who received standard care.
This was a single-centre, parallel randomized controlled trial conducted in Canada to determine the feasibility and efficacy of an exercise and education "pre-habilitation" (i.e., Prehab) program before elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). We recruited 17 patients who were scheduled to undergo elective CABG surgery from February 2011-May 2012. Enrolled patients were assessed at baseline, one week pre-operatively, and three months post-operatively.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
17
Reh-Fit Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Change in 6-minute walking distance
Assessed using the 6-minute walking test. Output is distance. Change from baseline 6-minute walking distance was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
Change in 5-meter gait speed
Assessed using the 5-meter gait speed test. Output is seconds. Change from baseline 5-meter gait speed was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
Change in objectively measured physical activity
Measured by accelerometry. Output is minutes of moderate-vigorous as well as total physical activity per week. Change from baseline physical activity was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
Change in quality of life
Self-reported using the Short Form-36 questionnaire. Output is a summary score across eight dimensions: General health, Physical functioning, Role limitations due to physical health, Role limitations due to emotional problems, Energy/fatigue, Pain, Emotional well-being, and Social functioning. Change from baseline quality of life measures was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
Change in depressive symptoms
Assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Output was a numerical and categorical score. Change from baseline depressive symptoms was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
Change in exercise self-efficacy
Assessed by the Cardiac Exercise Self-efficacy Index. Output was a numerical score. Change from baseline exercise self-efficacy was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
Change in cardiac anxiety
Assessed by the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire. Outputs were numerical scores across four dimensions: Fear, Avoidance, Heart-Focused Attention, and Total Score. Change from baseline cardiac anxiety was assessed at each follow-up time point.
Time frame: Baseline; 1 week pre-operatively; 3 months post-operatively
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