Ratio of early mitral inflow peak velocity to flow propagation velocity predicts training effects of cardiac rehabilitation in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE To use the ratio of early mitral inflow peak velocity (E) to mitral flow propagation velocity (FPV) measured in the early phase of myocardial infarction (early phase E/FPV) to evaluate the training effects of 8 weeks' cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients post-myocardial infarction. DESIGN Single-blinded, randomized control trial. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-seven patients with acute myocardial infarction who had undergone primary coronary intervention. METHODS Participants were enrolled randomly to either the cardiac rehabilitation or the control group. The rehabilitation group followed an 8-week supervised rehabilitation programme. All patients completed exercise testing and echo- cardiography at both the beginning and at 8-week follow-up. RESULTS The value of E/FPV was significantly reduced at 8-week follow-up in the rehabilitation group (p = 0.005). After cardiac rehabilitation, the increase in peak V(O2) (p = 0.002) and cardiac clinical outcome (composition of mortality, cardiac readmission rate, and revascularization rate) (p = 0.001) were significantly greater in patients with an early phase E/FPV < 1.5 than in patients with early phase E/FPV >or= 1.5. There were no significant differences in the increase in peak V (O2) and cardiac clinical outcome in patients with early phase E/FPV >or= 1.5. CONCLUSION Early phase E/FPV < 1.5 predicts more beneficial effects of cardiac rehabilitation in post-acute myocardial infarction patients who have undergone primary coronary intervention.