Early programmes of high and low intensity exercise and quality of life after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Objective - To determine whether a group programme of light exercise could improve quality of life in patients after acute myocardial infarction to the same extent as a high intensity exercise training programme. Setting - Australian teaching hospital. Patients - 224 men from a consecutive series of 339 men under 70 admitted to a coronary care unit with transmural acute myocardial infarction. Intervention - Patients were randomly allocated in hospital to a group programme lasting eight weeks of either high intensity exercise training or light exercise. Main outcome measures - Physical working capacity based on metabolic equivalents achieved from treadmill exercise tests at entry, after 11 we..