Efficacy of the different therapeutic exercise modalities in cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction. A review of the literature

Abstract

We aimed to assess the efficacy of different therapeutic exercise modalities in cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction. A search of randomized controlled studies published between 2016 and 2021 in Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane Library was carried out using the MeSH terms “exercise therapy” and “myocardial infarction”. Ten articles met the inclusion criteria; in these studies, the used exercises were combined or traditional programs that included relaxation training, and were performed either at home or at the hospital. We examined exercise tolerance, cardiovascular parameters, anthropometric measurements, and quality of life. Significant improvements in the assessed variables were observed in most studies. We conclude that all studied therapeutic exercise modalities are useful in cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction, although the best outcomes are seen for combined therapeutic exercise programs.