Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-3-2019
Journal
Journal of the American Heart Association
Volume
8
Issue
17
First Page
012257
Last Page
012257
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012257
Abstract
Background Autonomic dysregulation represents a hallmark of coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we investigated the effects of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on autonomic function and neuro-cardiovascular stress reactivity in CAD patients. Methods and Results Twenty-two CAD patients (4 women; 62±8 years) were studied before and following 6 months of aerobic- and resistance-training-based CR. Twenty-two similarly aged, healthy individuals (CTRL; 7 women; 62±11 years) served as controls. We measured blood pressure, muscle sympathetic nerve activity, heart rate, heart rate variability (linear and nonlinear), and cardiovagal (sequence method) and sympathetic (linear relationship between burst incidence and diastolic blood pressure) baroreflex sensitivity during supine rest. Furthermore, neuro-cardiovascular reactivity during short-duration static handgrip (20s) at 40% maximal effort was evaluated. Six months of CR lowered resting blood pressure (P0.05) and cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (P=0.11) were unchanged following CR, yet values were not different pre-CR from CTRL (all P>0.05). Furthermore, before CR, CAD patients displayed greater blood pressure and muscle sympathetic nerve activity reactivity to static handgrip versus CTRL (all P
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