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Diet & Lifestyle
Exercise Research
Heart transplant
patients benefit from exercise
Patients undergoing heart transplants have been
found to carry out less exercise due to the strain on the new organ.
Although the role of exercise in the treatment of
patients who underwent a heart transplant has not been determined, a study
by the Division of Cardiology, at the Los Angeles School of Medicine
looked at the effects of training on the capacity for exercise early after
a heart transplant.
The study involved twenty-seven patients who each
received a heart transplant. Half the patients were then placed on a
six-month structured heart exercise program, which involved
muscle-strength and aerobic exercises under the guidance of a physical
therapist.
A comparison between the two groups showed that
those in the exercise group had significantly greater increases in peak
oxygen consumption and a decrease in carbon dioxide production.
The researchers concluded that when started early
after a heart transplant, exercise training increases
the capacity for physical work. Therefore, carrying out exercise as soon
as feasibly possible after a heart transplant has been found to be most
beneficial for increasing activities and utilising the heart more
effectively.
Reference: A
controlled trial of exercise rehabilitation after heart transplantation.
Kobashigawa JA; Leaf DA; Lee N; Gleeson MP; Liu H;
Hamilton MA; Moriguchi JD; Kawata N; Einhorn
K; Herlihy E; Laks H N Engl J Med, 340:272-7,
1999 Jan 28
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The Internet Health Library 2000
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This page was last updated on 28 March 2001 11:22:22
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