Can exercise affect the treatment outcome in patients with heart disease?

This study aimed to determine whether exercise capacity affects the outcomes of patients with heart disease. The authors concluded that exercise capacity was not associated with the risk of a heart attack or risk of mortality.  

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a non-surgical procedure used to treat the narrowed coronary arteries of the heart. An initial study found that there was no difference in outcome between patients who received optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone or in combination with PCI. 

Studies have shown that patients with a greater exercise capacity have lower rates of heart-related events. It is thought that exercise ability could affect the outcomes in OMT alone or with PCI. 

This study examined whether exercise ability could affect the outcomes in OMT alone or with PCI.

Patients initially underwent exercise treadmill testing to measure their exercise capacity. 527 patients received PCI plus OMT. 525 received OMT alone. 

The PCI plus OMT group had a 42% higher risk of death or heart attack compared to OMT alone.

Participants were divided into two groups based on their exercise capabilities. Participants who were capable of performing normal exercise had a 25% lower risk of death or heart attack compared to those who had a lower ability to exercise.

However, initial exercise capacity was not able to determine whether PCI plus OMT or OMT alone had a poorer outcome. 

The authors concluded that there was no difference in long term clinical outcome whether patients had normal or low exercise capacity.