Effectiveness of tertiary prevention on quality of life and control of risk factors in patients with ischemic heart disease

Coronado R.F.; Yzu A.O. · Archivos Peruanos de Cardiologia y Cirugia Cardiovascular (2023) · DOI: 10.47487/apcyccv.v4i3.323

Resumen

Objective. Determine the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) as a tertiary prevention strategy in the quality of life and control of risk factors of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) at the National Cardiovascular Institute (INCOR) of EsSalud-Lima during 2018. Materials and methods. A retrospective cohort of 280 patients diagnosed with IHD, who had previously undergone medical, interventional, or surgical treatment, were referred to the INCOR CR program for tertiary prevention (PT) in 2018. The program was developed according to the institutional guidelines, spanned eight weeks and included exercise sessions as well as educational, psychological, nutritional, and recreational workshops. Assessments were conducted at the program’s outset and upon its completion, including the administration of the Quality of Life After Myocardial Infarction (QLMI 2) quality of life test, along with anthropometric, laboratory, and risk factor control measurements. Results. At the conclusion of the CR program, there was a statistically significant improvement in the patients’ quality of life across the emotional, social, physical, and overall dimensions (p < 0.001). The same positive trend was observed in nutritional parameters, including weight, abdominal circumference, and BMI (p < 0.001). Physical capacity also exhibited significant enhancements in terms of muscle strength (12.2% increase), physical activity (38.0% increase), and functional capability (25.4% increase) (p < 0.001). However, the results were not uniform for the biochemical metabolic variables. While glycosylated hemoglobin, glycemia, and lipid profile didn’t show significant improvements, there was a notable and statistically significant increase in HDL levels (p < 0.001). Conclusions. CR is an effective central strategy for implementing tertiary prevention in patients with IHD as it significantly enhances their quality of life and effectively manages coronary risk factors.