The impact of additional resistance and balance training in exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in older patients after valve surgery or intervention : randomized control trial

Background: To evaluate the short- and mid-term effect of a specially tailored resistance and balance training provided in addition to usual cardiac rehabilitation (CR) care program in older patients after valve surgery/intervention. Methods: Single-center (inpatient CR clinic in Lithuania) randomized controlled trial. Two hundred fifty-two patients were assessed for eligibility on the first day of admittance to CR early after (14.5?±?5.9?days) valve surgery/intervention between January 2018 and November 2019. Participants were coded centrally in accordance with randomization 1:1 using a computerized list. Control group (CG) patients were provided with usual care phase-II-CR inpatient multidisciplinary CR program, while intervention group (IG) patients received additional resistance and balance training (3 d/wk). Patients participated in a 3-month follow-up. Main outcome measures were functional capacity (6?min walk test (6MWT, meters), cardiopulmonary exercise testing), physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB, score) and 5-m walk test (5MWT, meters/second)), strength (one repetition maximum test for leg press), physical frailty (SPPB, 5MWT). Results: One hundred sixteen patients (76.1?±?6.7?years, 50% male) who fulfilled the study inclusion criteria were randomized to IG (n?=?60) or CG (n?=?56) and participated in CR (18.6?±?2.7?days). As a result, 6MWT (IG 247?±?94.1 vs. 348?±?100.1, CG 232?±?102.8 vs. 333?±?120.7), SPPB (IG 8.31?±?2.21 vs. 9.51?±?2.24, CG 7.95?±?2.01 vs. 9.08?±?2.35), 5MWT (IG 0.847?±?0.31 vs. 0.965?±?0.3, CG 0.765?±?0.24 vs 0.879?±?0.29) all other outcome variables and physical frailty level improved significantly (p?<?0.05) in both groups with no significant difference between groups. Improvements were sustained over the 3-month follow-up for 6MWT (IG 348?±?113 vs. CG 332?±?147.4), SPPB (IG 10.37?±?1.59 vs CG 9.44?±?2.34), 5MWT (IG 1.086?±?0. 307 vs CG 1.123?±?0.539) and other variables. Improvement in physical frailty level was significantly more pronounced in IG (p?<?0.05) after the 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: Exercise-based CR improves functional and exercise capacity, physical performance, and muscular strength, and reduces physical frailty levels in patients after valve surgery/intervention in the short and medium terms. SPPB score and 5MWT were useful for physical frailty assessment, screening and evaluation of outcomes in a CR setting. Additional benefit from the resistance and balance training could not be confirmed