The Effect of Exercise Training on Cardiac Structure and Function

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Exercise training, as part of cardiac rehabilitation, is effective in improving functional capacity and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. Other cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular benefits have been reported, namely in glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle function, oxidative stress, vascular function, pulmonary circulation, ischaemia-reperfusion lesion and ventricular remodelling. However, the benefit of exercise training on systolic and diastolic function is controversial especially after acute myocardial infarction where no longitudinal study has evaluated diastolic function using modern echocardiographic parameters. The hypothesis is that a structured program of exercise training can improve systolic and diastolic function in patients after myocardial infarction.

Official Title
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The Effect of Exercise Training on Cardiac Structure and Function

Conditions
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Myocardial Infarction

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Structured exercise training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Patients one month after myocardial infarction Older 18 years Exclusion Criteria: Age above 75 years, Inability to exercise, Hemodinamically significant valvular disease, Moderate to severe chronic lung disease (vital capacity and/or forced expiratory volume in 1 s <80% of age-dependent predicted value), Atrial fibrillation Exercise induced myocardial ischemia Anaemia (haemoglobin <12 g/dl).

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 75 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Placebo Comparator: Control<br>Standard of care | |
| Experimental: Structured exercise training<br>8-week outpatient exercise-training program, encompassing 3 sessions per week, including endurance and resistance training | Behavioral: Structured exercise training<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Myocardial early diastolic velocity at mitral annulus by tissue Doppler (E' velocity) | Determined by echocardiography; results in cm/s | 4 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ratio between early diastolic filling velocity from mitral inflow and myocardial early diastolic velocity at mitral annulus by tissue Doppler (E/E' ratio) | Determined by echocardiography; no unit (ratio) | 4 months | 
| Myocardial systolic velocity at mitral annulus by tissue Doppler (S' velocity) | Determined by echocardiography; results in cm/s | 4 months | 
| Left ventriclular ejection fraction | Determined by echocardiography; results in % | 4 months |