Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the patients
| All patients, n = 53 | Age < 75 years, n = 32 | Age ≥ 75 years, n = 21 | χ2 value | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 73 (67–76) | 68 (61–72) | 76 (76–80) | < 0.001 | |
| Male, n (%) | 41 (77.4) | 23 (71.9) | 18 (85.7) | 0.323 | |
| LVEF (%) | 58.6 (46.9–65.6) | 58.9 (48.6–65.6) | 56.1 (45.2–65.5) | 0.547 | |
| Medical history | |||||
| Previous MI, n (%) | 24 (45.3) | 16 (50.0) | 8 (38.1) | 0.324 | 0.596 |
| Angina pectoris, n (%) | 13 (24.5) | 6 (18.8) | 7 (33.3) | 0.775 | 0.379 |
| CHF, n (%) | 23 (43.4) | 15 (46.9) | 8 (38.1) | 0.121 | 0.728 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 35 (66.0) | 23 (71.9) | 12 (57.1) | 0.658 | 0.417 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 27 (50.9) | 18 (56.2) | 9 (42.9) | 0.453 | 0.501 |
| Medications | |||||
| Beta blocker, n (%) | 42 (79.3) | 28 (87.5) | 14 (66.7) | 0.090 | |
| ACE-I/ARB, n (%) | 36 (67.3) | 25 (78.1) | 11 (52.4) | 2.766 | 0.101 |
| CCB, n (%) | 20 (37.7) | 13 (40.6) | 7 (33.3) | 0.060 | 0.806 |
| Diuretic, n (%) | 22 (41.5) | 14 (43.8) | 8 (38.1) | 0.015 | 0.902 |
| Period of CR interruption (days) | 77 (63–92) | 70 (59.6–98) | 84 (70.0–91) | 0.334 | |
| Decreased exercise during CR interruption, n (%) | 46 (86.8) | 27 (84.4) | 19 (90.5) | 0.690 | |
| Exercise intensity (watts)a | 50 (40–60) | 50 (40–60) | 50 (40–60) | 0.869 |
Values shown are n (%), medians (interquartile ranges)
ACE-I angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, ARB angiotensin II receptor blocker, CCB calcium channel blocker, CHF congestive heart failure, CR cardiac rehabilitation, LVEF left ventricular ejection fraction, MI myocardial infarction
aOnly cycle ergometer (n = 49)