Cardiovascular profile of women in cardiac rehabilitation programs and its impact on their functional capacity

Abstract Background The value of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for patients with a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diseases is supported by a solid body of scientific evidence. It has demonstrated improvement in cardiopulmonary capacity and physical endurance, as well as a reduction in morbidity, mortality and rehospitalization. Despite these benefits, it is an underutilized resource among women. Purpose Our objective was to study the clinical characteristics of women included in our CR program, as well as the evolution of their functional capacity, in comparison to men. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted and consecutive patients who had participated in the CR program at our center, between the years 2019 and 2022, were included. Clinical characteristics and the evolution of functional capacity throughout the program were assessed, stratified by gender. Results 175 patients were included and subdivided by gender into two groups: 144 males and 31 females. The mean age was slightly higher among the female patients, without reaching statistical significance, and the body mass index was similar in both groups. Ischemic heart disease was the primary reason for inclusion in 80% of cases. Within the female patients, 52% had hypertension (p=0.04) and 20% had diabetes (p=0.09), percentages slightly lower than those in males; a similar percentage of patients had dyslipidemia in both groups (see table). The initial METs in ergometry [7.6 (6.3-10.2) among male patients and 4.6 (4.4-6.9) among female patients], and the final METs [10 (8.1-11.3) and 6.8 (5.6-7.6), respectively], were higher in the male group, with a significant increase in METs at the end of the CR program in both groups. Nonetheless, the absolute increase in METs was similar in both males and females. Conclusions Cardiovascular risk factors are more prevalent among males. CR programs demonstrate an improvement in functional capacity (defined as an increase in METs) in both males and females, with a similar absolute increase in METs for both genders. Therefore, we must increase our efforts to include more women in CR programs.