Cardiac rehabilitation in patients with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators

Abstract

Large subsets of patients admitted in cardiac rehabilitation centers are having a pacemaker, cardiac resynchronization (CRT) or implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD). Cardiac rehabilitation in patients with implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers or ICD is a unique opportunity not only to optimize the medical treatment, to increase their exercise capacity and improves their clinical condition, but also to supervise the correct functioning of the device. CRT is known to reduce clinical symptoms and slightly increase exercise capacity. But in these patients, the clinical improvements are likely to be explained by both the enhancement of cardiac function induced by the device and by the improved peripheral (muscular and vascular) and cardiac effects of exercise. The additional expected gain by exercise in this population is between 14 to 25%. In patients implanted with an ICD, exercise training is safe, without increasing recurrence and need of shocks or anti-tachycardia pacing therapy. A comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation combining exercise training and a psycho-educational intervention improves exercise capacity, quality of life, general and mental health. However, further large scale studies are needed to evaluate the most appropriate management and definitively demonstrate the additional benefit of cardiac rehabilitation in this particular group of patients.