Visit-to-visit variability and reduction in blood pressure after a 3-month cardiac rehabilitation program in patients with cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Visit-to-visit variability (VVV) in blood pressure (BP) has been shown to be a predictor of cardiovascular events. It is unknown whether CR can improve VVV in BP as well as reducing BP. We enrolled 84 patients who had cardiovascular disease (CVD) and participated in a 3-month CR program. We measured systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and heart rate (HR) before exercise training at each visit and determined VVV in BP or HR expressed as the standard deviation of the average BP or HR. Patients who had uncontrolled BP at baseline and who did not change their antihypertensive drugs throughout the study period showed a significant reduction of both SBP and DBP with a decrease in PP after 3 months. Patients who did not change their antihypertensive drugs were divided into larger (L-) and smaller (S-) VVV in the SBP groups and L- and S-VVV in the DBP groups according to the average value of VVV in SBP or DBP. In the L-VVV in the SBP and DBP groups, VVV in SBP and DBP in the 1st month was significantly decreased after the 3rd month in both groups. HR at baseline was significantly decreased after 3 months. In addition, CR induced a significant increase in the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in blood. In conclusion, CR improved VVV in BP in patients with L-VVV in BP and evoked a significant reduction in HR and an increase in HDL-C. These effects due to the CR program may be cardioprotective.