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Exercise Conditioning in the Elderly Coronary Patient
Author(s) -
Ades Philip A.,
Hanson John S.,
Gunther Peter G. S.,
Tonino Richard P.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1987.tb01340.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rate , blood pressure , rate pressure product , physical therapy , conditioning , cardiology , statistics , mathematics
We compared conditioning effects of a supervised exercise program in 100 elderly and younger patients with a recent coronary event. Twenty‐one patients were ≥ 62 years of age (mean, 65 years) and 79 were ≤ 61 years of age (mean, 48.7 years). While the elderly patients attained a lower peak exercise intensity on entry and on completion of the exercise protocol, they obtained a similar relative training benefit as the younger patients. Peak exercise intensity increased 68% in each group and sub‐maximal (five METS) heart rate‐blood pressure product decreased 27% in the older patients and 26% in the younger patients. Rate of entry into our program was substantially lower in the elderly patient group, 19% v 57% in younger patients ( P < 0.001) despite a similar inhospital recruiting effort. Thus, although elderly coronary patients obtain similar training benefits as younger patients, they are less likely to participate in a program designed to decrease cardiac disability.