Relationship between Changes in Functional Capacity and Anthropometric, Clinical and Psychological Indicators in Cardiac Patients Participating in Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a multifaceted treatment that can increase the survival and quality of life of cardiac patients by increasing their functional capacity (FC). In this study, we aimed to investigate the FC changes of cardiac patients after the CR program in different subgroups in terms of anthropometric, clinical, and psychological indices. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective study that has been derived from the results of a Cohort study at the Rehabilitation Research Center of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Isfahan (Iran), from 2006 to 2017. In this study, the dependent variable is functional capacity changes based on Mets obtained in exercise testing at the beginning and end of the CR program. Independent variables included age, sex, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and Body mass index, type of intervention, depression, and EF. Results: The sample size is 1250 cardiovascular patients, of which 917 (73.5%) are male and 331 (26.5%) are female. Functional capacity after the CR program significantly increased in all age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, depression, EF, and type of operation performed (angioplasty or open-heart surgery) subgroups, (p < 0.001). Using multiple linear regression analysis, a significant relationship was found between Mets changes and only the variables of gender, depression, and EF. Conclusion: The results of this study show the importance of rehabilitation programs in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in different subgroups and factors such as gender, level of primary depression, and EF less than 35 are the most important factors affecting functional capacity increase after CR program in heart patients.