The effects of exercise in a coronary rehabilitation programme.

Twenty-two male and female patients who had recently suffered a myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to a treatment group who participated in a 10-week exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme or a routine care group who did not participate in the rehabilitation programme. Physiological and psychological function were assessed before the programme started and after it finished. Results indicated that the treatment group did not improve physiological functioning more than the control group but they did evidence statistically significant improved psychological functioning. This investigation appears to be the first attempt to assess the potential benefits of an exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme in Glasgow and supports the suggestion that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation has psychological benefits.