EFFECTS OF 6 MONTHS EXERCISE TRAINING ON VENTRICULAR REMODELLING AND AUTONOMIC TONE IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION

Objective: To study the effects of 6 months exercise training on ventricular remodelling and autonomic tone in patients with acute myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention. Design: Single-blinded randomized control trial. Participants: Sixty patients with acute myocardial infarction who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: The exercise group followed a 6-month supervised exercise programme, while the control group received routine recommendations. All patients underwent in incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test anti Doppler echocardioaraphy at baseline and after 6 months. Results: Three patients in the exercise group did not complete the programme. At 6 months follow-up, an improvement was seen in the exercise group compared with the control group regarding peak VO2 (p < 0.01), Powermax (p < 0.05), VO2 at anaerobic threshold (p < 0.01), time to reach anaerobic threshold (p < 0.05), heart rate recovery (p < 0.011), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (p < 0.01) and left ventricular ejection fraction (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Six months exercise training in patients with acute myocardial infarction and percutancous coronary intervention with mild ventricular systolic dysfunction could prevent ventricular remodelling to a certain extent, and favourable modulating sympatho-vagal balance may be an important mechanism.