Long-term effects of lifestyle behavior change in coronary artery disease: Effects on recurrent coronary events after percutaneous coronary intervention

This study evaluated the effects of a behaviorally oriented cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention program on lifestyle changes and on coronary recurrence rates. Patients recently treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized to an intervention with an aggressive focus on lifestyle changes (smoking, diet, exercise, and stress; n = 46) or to a standard-care control group (n = 42). Results showed that the intervention group had significantly larger overall lifestyle changes than the control group after 12, 24, 36, and 60 months. The intervention group had significantly lower rates of all coronary events (acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, PCI, cardiac death; 30.4% vs. 53.7%), chi(2)(l, N = 87) = 4.82, p < .03, and of cardiovascular mortality (2.2% vs. 14.6%), chi(2) (1, N = 87) = 4.55, p < .04. The need for future large-scale and long-term evaluations of lifestyle-oriented secondary prevention interventions of this kind is emphasized.