Effects of a home based exercise intervention on cardiac biomarkers liver enzymes and cardiometabolic outcomes in CABG and PCI patients

We investigated the impact of a home‑based exercise intervention (HBEI) on cardiac biomarkers, liver enzymes,
cardiometabolic outcomes, and health‑related quality of life (HRQL) in clinically stable patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

The study was a nonrandomized clinical trial conducted in Tehran, Iran, from July 2019 to January 2020. Forty cardiac patients (after the cardiac intervention, CABG, n = 32; PCI, n = 8) were recruited based on the study inclusion criteria and were allocated consecutively to one of two groups: (1) HBEI (n = 18) and (2) conventional center‑based exercise program (CBEP, n = 22). The CBEP group performed the routine exercise program of Sadr Heart Clinic, and the HBEI group performed a home‑based remotely monitored exercise protocol, both three times per week, for 8 weeks. The following variables were assessed before and after the intervention: anthropometric measures; blood pressure; lipid profile; cardiac biomarkers including cardiac troponin I, creatine kinase, and total and Mb isozyme; liver enzymes including aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase; creatinine; urea; exercise capacity; and HRQL.

In comparison with pretest in both CBEP and HBEI groups, a significant improvement in all of the measured variables (P < 0.05), but not in ejection fraction was observed (P > 0.05). Moreover, in the CBEP group, a more significant decline in troponin I levels (P = 0.03), and in the HBEI group, a greater reduction in weight (P = 0.01) and body mass index (P = 0.04) occurred.

The findings suggest that a properly designed and monitored HBEI may be as effective as conventional  enter‑based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) exercise programs and should be encouraged in those cardiac patients who are unable or uninterested in conventional center‑based CR exercise programs.