The Effects of Phase 2 Cardiac Rehabilitation on Changes in Obesity Anthropometric Indices among Military and Non-military Men with Coronary Artery Disease Referred to Cardiac Rehabilitation Center

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation program reduces cardiovascular risk factors and increases respiratory capacity in patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). High-stress lifestyle is established in military patients with CAD. Military groups have been proposed to have an active lifestyle and better anthropometric changes compared to civilians. However, no studies have been conducted on their response to the cardiac rehabilitation program. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cardiac rehabilitation on alterations in obesity anthropometric indices among military personnel. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 military patients with CAD and 100 non-military ones at a cardiac rehabilitation center. The two groups were compared with regard to obesity anthropometric and rehabilitation indices before and after a 20-session cardiac rehabilitation program. At first, normal distribution of the data was checked using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Then, independent sample t-test was used to compare the means between the two groups. Paired t-test was also applied to compare the indices before and after the cardiac rehabilitation program. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software, version 16 and P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.72 +/- 4.6 and 58.03 +/- 5.3 years in the military and civilian groups, respectively (P = 0.060). The results showed no significant differences between the two groups regarding the frequency of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, history of smoking, and positive family history of cardiovascular disease (P = 0.46, 0.48, 0.48,0.29, and 0.47, respectively). Obesity anthropometric indices were significantly decreased in each study group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. Additionally, rehabilitation indices were increased more in the military group than in the civilian group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Despite the military patients' probably lower rates of obesity anthropometric indices, they did not benefit more from the cardiac rehabilitation program. However, as in the previous research, the results indicated that the cardiac rehabilitation program after cardiac events and interventions were helpful to improve both military and civilian patients' capabilities and quality of lives. Rehabilitation indices were also equally increased in the two groups without any significant differences.