Effects of Exercise Training Response on Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Risk Factor Profiles in People With Coronary Artery Disease: Insights From the HIIT or MISS UK Trial.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the characteristics of responders and nonresponders to 8 weeks of exercise training to determine differences in key cardiovascular disease outcomes in people with coronary artery disease (CAD).

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of data from the HIIT or MISS UK trial.

SETTING

Six outpatient National Health Service cardiac rehabilitation (CR) centers in the UK. In people with CAD attending CR, the HIIT or MISS UK trial reported that short-term, low-volume, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) was more effective than moderate-intensity steady state (MISS) exercise training for improving peak oxygen uptake (V̇o2peak).

PARTICIPANTS

382 participants with CAD (N=382) (mean age: 58.8±9.6y; mean body mass index: 29.0±4.3 kg/m2).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We identified responders and nonresponders based on a meaningful change in V̇o2peak, using 2 established methods. Key clinical, quality of life (QoL), and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)-derived outcomes were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Responders were more likely to be younger (P<.05), and demonstrate greater improvement in CPET-related outcomes, for example, oxygen uptake efficiency slope, ventilatory efficiency, and peak power output (all comparisons, P<.001). Responders were more likely to observe improvements in QoL (EQ-5D-5L; mean Δ 13.6 vs mean Δ 9.4; P=.045), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (mean Δ 0.09 mmol/L vs mean Δ 0.04 mmol/L; P=.004), compared to nonresponders.

CONCLUSIONS

In people with CAD attending CR, responders to exercise training were more likely to be younger and demonstrate greater improvements in health-related QoL and HDL-c.