Effect of home-based exercise rehabilitation on quality of life early post-dischargeafter coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND: The barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs are individualand economic problemsas well aslimited availability of rehabilitation services. Because of theimportant role of rehabilitation, home-basedexercise rehabilitation is a new approach toparticipate in such programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate theeffect of home-basedrehabilitation on quality of life (QoL) in patients with coronary artery disease aftercoronaryartery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).METHODS: Participants included ۱۸ CABG (۳ women, ۱۵ men) and ۴۰ PCI (۱۲ women, ۲۸men) low tomoderate risk patients. Finally, ۱۷ patients in the exercise group and ۱۶ patients inthe control group remained. The SF-۳۶ was used to evaluate changes in QoL before and after theprogram.RESULTS: forty-three percent was dropped out from the program. Before and after program,the exercise group was betterin all domains of QoL (P <۰.۰۵). After ۸ weeks of cardiacrehabilitation, significant improvements were observed inquality of life in both groups (P<۰.۰۵)but the exercise group showed more improvements in three domains.CONCLUSION: Home-based exercise rehabilitation after CABG and PCI may improve QoL andprovide an efficient low-costapproach to cardiac rehabilitation. It may be helpful due to limitedavailability and resources in Iran. Nevertheless,there is a need for more trainingto increaseparticipation and decrease drop outKeywords: Quality of life,Coronary artery bypass grafts, Angioplasty.