Front Cardiovasc Med. 2026 Jul 9;13:1875972. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2026.1875972. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the face of escalating cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence, the demand for evidence-backed cardiac rehabilitation has surged, making it a guideline-recommended secondary prevention and adjunctive management strategy for afflicted individuals.
METHODS: Our study meticulously investigated the effects of a structured cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program on 79 CVD patients. These participants engaged in a carefully designed regimen, including 12 in-center sessions held 2-3 times per week, with comprehensive assessments conducted both before and after the intervention. These assessments encompassed a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and the completion of four questionnaires targeting aspects of quality of life and mental health, specifically depression and anxiety levels.
RESULTS: Following the cardiac rehabilitation, oxygen uptake (VO2, 10.9 ± 2.9 to 13.3 ± 3.4 mL/min/kg, p < 0.01), ventilation (VE, 29.3 ± 7.5 to 35.6 ± 9.3 mL/min/kg, p < 0.01), workload (56.7 ± 25.4 to 70.0 ± 27.7 W, p < 0.01) at the anaerobic threshold (AT), and the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES, 1,426.8 ± 346.3 to 1,547.2 ± 403.5, p < 0.01) significantly improved in CVD patients. These positive outcomes were consistent across study groups. Additionally, participants experienced significant enhancements in quality of life, coupled with reduced depression and anxiety levels post-rehabilitation.
CONCLUSION: Collectively, the present study corroborates compelling evidence that exercise-driven cardiac rehabilitation confers meaningful improvements in physical performance and quality of life for patient cohorts irrespective of body mass index.
PMID:42495074 | PMC:PMC13391834 | DOI:10.3389/fcvm.2026.1875972