Cardiovascular therapeutics
Cardiopulmonary Fitness and Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Myocarditis
By Zhang SS, Jiang LY, Zuo HJ and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is considered a gold standard in assessing CRF. Patients with myocarditis are recommended to abstain from exercise because of the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Therefore, the clinical benefit of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has not been previously established in this population.
Objective
The aim of this study is to assess the CRF of myocarditis and the safety and effectiveness of an exercise-based CR program in these populations.
Method
A total of 70 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of myocarditis admitted to Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between October 2021 and December 2024 were enrolled in the current study. CPET was performed within 3-6 months of hospital discharge. The exercise-based CR program was performed for 3 months. The protocol included biomarker analysis, CPET, and standard-of-care echocardiography (including resting left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain [GLS]). Data were collected at admission and 3 months after discharge.