Table 2.

Comparison of Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Cardiopulmonary Fitness Outcomes Following Participation in Cardiac Rehabilitation, by Metabolic Syndrome Status

Variable	Metabolic Syndrome, N = 1070 (53.9%)			No Metabolic Syndrome, N = 914 (46.1%)			Difference of Changec (95% CI)
	na	Change from Baselineb (mean ± SD)	P	na	Change from Baselineb (mean ± SD)	P	Unadjusted	P	Adjustedd	P
Body composition
Weight, lbs	716	−4.68 ± 8.68	< 0.0001	636	−3.58 ± 7.37	< 0.0001	−1.10 (−1.96, −0.24)	0.01	−1.43 (−2.31, −0.56)	0.001
Body mass index, kg/m2	714	−0.74 ± 1.82	< 0.0001	635	−0.56 ± 1.43	< 0.0001	−0.18 (−0.35, −0.01)	0.04	−0.21 (−0.37, −0.03)	0.02
Body fat percentage	619	−0.82 ± 3.23	< 0.0001	553	−0.57 ± 2.28	< 0.0001	−0.24 (−0.56, 0.07)	0.13	−0.31 (−0.63, 0.01)	0.06
Metabolic syndrome components
Waist circumference, in	628	−0.81 ± 1.99	< 0.0001	545	−0.57 ± 1.94	< 0.0001	−0.24 (−0.46, −0.01)	0.04	−0.31 (−0.54, −0.08)	0.008
HDL-C, mg/dL	578	2.14 ± 6.73	< 0.0001	487	2.68 ± 8.15	< 0.0001	−0.54 (−1.45, 0.37)	0.24	−0.20 (−1.13, 0.73)	0.67
Triglycerides, mg/dL	578	−14.41 ± 61.05	< 0.0001	487	−5.09 ± 43.63	0.0001	−9.32 (−15.62, −3.02)	0.004	−8.70 (−15.04, −2.37)	0.007
Fasting glucose, mg/dL	375	−3.78 ± 37.03	0.001	167	1.74 ± 20.03	0.42	−5.52 (−10.33, −0.70)	0.02	−5.48 (−10.44, −0.53)	0.03
Systolic BP, mm Hg	715	−2.38 ± 17.68	0.002	630	−0.37 ± 16.49	0.70	−2.01 (−3.83, −0.18)	0.03	−1.68 (−3.55, 0.18)	0.08
Diastolic BP, mm Hg	715	−1.11 ± 10.59	0.008	628	−0.98 ± 10.27	0.05	−0.13 (−1.25, 0.99)	0.82	−0.26 (−1.41, 0.89)	0.66
Other lipids, mg/dL
Total cholesterol	578	−0.08 ± 31.97	0.62	487	−1.20 ± 28.59	0.84	1.12 (−2.51, 4.76)	0.54	0.94 (−2.81, 4.69)	0.62
LDL-C	577	−19.59 ± 29.06	< 0.0001	486	−16.97 ± 28.85	< 0.0001	−2.62 (−6.11, 0.87)	0.14	−1.50 (−5.06, 2.05)	0.41
Non-HDL-C	578	−2.21 ± 30.33	0.11	487	−3.82 ± 26.54	0.002	1.61 (−1.81, 5.02)	0.36	1.08 (−2.43, 4.60)	0.55
Psychosocial health, mean ± SD
BSI-53 global severity index	654	−3.66 ± 7.64	< 0.0001	572	−4.50 ± 7.76	< 0.0001	0.84 (−0.02, 1.71)	0.06	0.82 (−0.06, 1.71)	0.07
BSI-53 depression score	654	−1.67 ± 7.75	< 0.0001	572	−2.51 ± 7.14	< 0.0001	0.84 (0.00, 1.67)	0.05	0.92 (0.08, 1.76)	0.03
BSI-53 anxiety score	654	−3.32 ± 8.66	< 0.0001	572	−3.99 ± 8.59	< 0.0001	0.67 (−0.30, 1.63)	0.18	0.60 (−0.37, 1.57)	0.23
BSI-53 hostility score	654	−2.79 ± 8.00	< 0.0001	572	−2.26 ± 7.99	< 0.0001	−0.54 (−1.43, 0.36)	0.24	−0.39 (−1.32, 0.54)	0.41
Cardiopulmonary fitness
RPE	485	−3.02 ± 3.04	< 0.0001	447	−3.53 ± 6.77	< 0.0001	0.51 (−0.17, 1.19)	0.14	0.34 (−0.26, 0.93)	0.27

Notes: ^aNumber of patients with data at both baseline and end of program. ^bFrom Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. ^cFrom difference-in-differences regression models specifying robust estimates of variance. Patients without metabolic syndrome are treated as the reference. ^dDerived from difference-in-differences models adjusted for age, sex, education, employment status, and indication for referral to cardiac rehab.

Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; CI, confidence interval; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; BSI, brief symptom inventory; METs, metabolic equivalents; RPE, rating of perceived exertion.