Health-related quality of life in elderly cardiac patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation and the association with exercise capacity: the EU-CaRE study
Authors' conclusion
Improvements in exercise capacity were strongly associated with improvements in HRQoL and mental health, however, with stronger associations in men.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged ≥65 years with acute or chronic coronary syndrome or heart valve surgery in exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR), 8 centres in 7 European countries1,457 (89%) at 1-year follow-up
- Participants
- 1,633 patients
- Exposure
- Exercise capacity (VO2peak) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety and depression after exercise-based CR
- Outcome
- Association of VO2peak (baseline and development) with HRQoL (SF-36 PCS and MCS), anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9)
- Follow-up
- End of CR (T1) and 1-year (T2)
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of VO2peak with HRQoL, anxiety and depression · T1 and T2
- Men: VO2peak at baseline and its development significantly associated with all outcome variables at T1 and T2
- all P < 0.001
- Women: VO2peak associated only with PCS
- P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Sex differences and change over time
- Women had higher % predicted VO2peak but poorer HRQoL, anxiety and depression scores at all time points
- All scores improved in both sexes at follow-up
Original publication
Health-related quality of life in elderly cardiac patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation and the association with exercise capacity: the EU-CaRE study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 5 June 2024. doi:10.
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