Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiopulmonary Function in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction with and without Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with or without cardiac arrest (CA).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 100 patients with AMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention was conducted. Fifty patients experienced CA, whereas the other fifty did not. A HIIT program was performed three times per week for a 12-week duration. The target heart rate (THR) method was used to guide the intensity of exercise. The cardiopulmonary function indices include maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max), anaerobic threshold (AT), ventilatory efficiency (E/CO2 slope), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), metabolic equivalents (METs), oxygen pulse (VO2/HR), and heart rate recovery at 1 minute (HRR1).

RESULTS

After HIIT, VO2max in the CA group increased from 21.96±4.40 to 23.85±3.28 mL/kg/min (95% CI: 1.31 to 2.47; P <0.001). AT increased from 15.01±3.09 to 15.97±2.09 mL/kg/min (95% CI: 0.41 to 1.51; P =0.001), while the VE/VCO2 slope decreased from 29.26±3.14 to 27.56±4.42 L/l (95% CI: -3.01 to -0.39; P =0.047). OUES increased from 1762.49±653.77 to 1960.08±527.43 (95% CI: 55.00 to 340.18; P =0.0078). METs increased from 6.27±1.25 to 6.81±0.93 (95% CI: 0.37 to 0.71; P <0.001). Additionally, oxygen pulse (O2/HR) increased from 12.32±2.08 to 13.74±0.90 mL (95% CI: 0.87 to 1.97; P <0.001), and HRR1 improved from 16.65±7.75 to 20.1±6.64 (95% CI: 0.87 to 6.03; P =0.010); similar improvements were also observed in the non-CA group. The adverse events during rehabilitation were comparable between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Overall, HIIT-based rehabilitation was associated with significant improvements in cardiopulmonary function, with comparable outcomes in AMI patients with and without CA.