RT-231
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Effects of cardiac
rehabilitation on heart rate variability after myocardial infarction
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Maria Stella Fera, Francesco
Rulli, Alessandro Carunchio, Andrea Mazza, Maurizio Burattini, Maria Margherita
Martinelli, Andrea Porzio, Vincenzo Ceci.
Division of Cardiology, S. Spirito Hospital, Rome, Italy
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Introduction
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Heart rate variability (HRV) measured in both the time
and frequency domains, has been used to describe and semiquantitatively characterize
sympatho-vagal activity. HRV is decreased in patients early after acute myocardial
infarction (from a few hours to 2-3 weeks) and begins to increase toward normal within a
few weeks following myocardial infarction1. HRV is
maximally recovered by 6 to 12 months after myocardial infarction2,
but remains lower than normal. Recently, it has been proposed that HRV may play a role in
predicting both death and arrhythmic mechanisms early and late after myocardial infarction2. Patients who demonstrate a marked degree of autonomic
dysfunction, following acute myocardial infarction, have a higher increased risk of
subsequent early mortality. Cardiac rehabilitation has a positive impact on morbidity and
mortality in patients after myocardial infarction. The effect of physical training has
been shown to improve these measures of cardiac autonomic function and cardiac
rehabilitation appears to reduce the risk of sudden death3.
The aim of the present study is to determine, in patients after an uncomplicated first
acute myocardial infarction, the influence of cardiac rehabilitation on sympatho-vagal
control of HRV, compared to patients that were advised to follow normal home care.
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