HOME-BASED ARM CARDIAC REHABILITATION: A PILOT …



HOME-BASED ARM CARDIAC REHABILITATION: A PILOT STUDY IN DISABLED VETERANS

A.K. Chan1,2, L. Christianson1,2, M.B. Jhawar1,2, A. Mehra1,2, K.B. Aggarwal1,2,

K.C. Dellsperger2, A. Chockalingam1,2

1Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, 2University of Missouri, Columbia,

MO, USA

One of the cornerstones of treatment after acute coronary syndromes is cardiac rehabilitation (CR). However, traditional CR remains underused in the United States due to comorbidities and geographical limitations. To evaluate feasibility and safety, a pilot study of seven Veterans unable to perform traditional CR were provided twelve weeks of telemonitored home-based arm ergometer and weight training. Prior to beginning the home program, all Veterans were subjected to an arm ergometer stress test and training in the proper techniques for arm exercises and weight training. Patients were given the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-related Quality of Life (MacNew) questionnaire at the beginning and conclusion of the home-based arm cardiac rehabilitation program (HACR). Six patients completed the study. One withdrew due to generalized weakness. There were no adverse events during the study period. There was a perceived improvement in heart disease related global (4.47 to 4.61), physical, emotional, and social well-being by the MacNew questionnaire. The SAQ demonstrated an improvement in physical limitation, angina frequency, treatment satisfaction, and overall quality of life (36.11 to 51.66) after HACR. There was a decrease in average blood pressure and patients were able to exercise an average of 7 minutes longer and 8 additional watts after HACR. This pilot study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of a home-based arm cardiac rehabilitation program. In addition, these programs may provide for improvement in quality of life of coronary artery disease patients unable to perform traditional phase II cardiac rehabilitation.

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