Effectiveness of early walking training in patients after NSTEMI treated with angioplasty in the first stage of cardiac rehabilitation

The basic exercise after the patient's mobilization is walking, the effects of which are associated with numerous benefits both in terms of the patients’ physical and mental condition. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of earlier initiation of walking training in patients after coronary angioplasty in the first stage of cardiac rehabilitation. Material and methods 50 patients after NSTEMI were examined. Based on the recruitment and after meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, they were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group - clinical ( n = 25) was subjected to 5-day rehabilitation consisting of 6 training units performed twice a day in a 30-meter corridor. The second group - control ( n = 25), performed a standard cardiac rehabilitation program. Before starting and after completing training and rehabilitation, all patients underwent echocardiography to assess left ventricular functions (LVEF%, LVEDD, LVESD) and. 6-minute walk test to determine level of physical fitness. Results After completing the 5-day walking training, a significant increase in exercise tolerance was observed in both the clinical and control groups. In the experimental group, a significant increase in exercise tolerance was observed (distance: +184.6 m, p < 0.001, d = 0.82, η 2 = 0.316; walking speed: +1.84 m/s, p = 0.032, d = 0.74, η 2 = 0.501; METs: +3.07, p = 0.001, d = 0.69, η 2 = 0.342; HR peak: +20.68 bpm, p < 0.000, d = 0.816, η 2 = 0.662). In the control group, the improvement was small (distance: +23.2 m, p = 0.044, d = 0.20, η 2 = 0.112; HR peak: +6.36 bpm, p = 0.011, d = 0.228, η 2 = 0.116). Conclusion Early walking training significantly affects the level of exercise tolerance, similarly to a standard rehabilitation program.