Impact à moyen terme de la réadaptation cardiovasculaire sur la modification des habitudes de vie

Management of cardiovascular risk factors is essential to decrease mortality and morbidity of coronary patients. Lifestyle changes to modify sedentarity, smoking and diet, however, are difficult to implement and even more to maintain. The aim of the study was to assess the medium-term impact of a cardiovascular rehabilitation program. A survey was sent to 719 patients who had completed ≥75% of a residential rehabilitation program. The program involved >70 hours of physical activities, 26 sessions on cardiovascular risk factors and individual support to stop smoking. 222 patients (84% men, 16% women; mean age 64,1 ± 9,1 years), who had completed the program 10,2 ± 4,2 months earlier, returned the questionnaire. Prior to rehabilitation, 24,3% of patients practised from 3 to 5 hours of physical activities per week and 11,7% more than 5 hours. The rate increased to 53,2% and 19,8% respectively after completion of the program, and 48,6% and 29,3% 10 months later. One month after rehabilitation, 84% of smokers had stopped smoking, and 67% were still non-smokers at the time of the survey. Patients caring about their diet increased from 37,4% to 87,4% immediately after the program, and 87,8% after 10 months (p <0,05 for all values prior to rehabilitation compared with later values). We conclude that a focused, intense intervention at the right time, such as a rehabilitation program after infarction or heart surgery, has a favorable and lasting influence on the evolution of several risk factors involving lifestyle changes in coronary patients.