High-intensity Exercise After Acute Cardiac Event (HITCARE)

Summary

Despite the well-known health benefits of physical exercise in the prevention of chronic diseases, less attention has been focused on the use of physical exercise as an essential part of good treatment for chronic disease. The aims of the study are to investigate the feasibility, medical effects, cost-effectiveness, and social perspectives of the individualized exercise-based rehabilitation \[2 different high-intensity training (HIT) protocols combined with usual care (UC)\] after acute coronary artery disease (CAD) event. The medical aim is to study mediating mechanisms of the physiological, biochemical and molecular effects of exercise training on the clinical outcomes. The aim of the health-economic evaluation is to assess the changes in the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) and health care related costs for estimating the cost-effectiveness of HIT-based exercise rehabilitation. The purpose of the sociological analysis is to find out the social processes which make possible the emergence of the desired welfare effects.

Conditions

• Unstable Angina Pectoris
• Acute Myocardial Infarction
• Recurrent Myocardial Infarction

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

High-intensity aerobic interval training, short interval

The intensity of HIT-S sessions (cycle ergometer) will be increased during 3 to 6 months from 60% of VO2peak to 100% which will be the target intensity from 6 to 12 months. The protocol includes four 6 min sets consisting of 15 sec exercise followed by 15 sec passive recovery separated with 3 min passive recovery between sets. Exercise session will last ca. 40 min, with 12 min of HIT, warm-up and recovery. The intensity of the 15 seconds exercise bouts will be based on VO2peak at baseline and after 6 months. Meanwhile, the estimated VO2peak from the submaximal test will be used to adjust the training intensity in HIT sessions. Training will be conducted in a group of 1-3 HIT-S patients with ECG monitoring and supervised by physician.

BEHAVIORAL

High-intensity aerobic interval training, long interval

The intensity of HIT-L sessions (cycle ergometer) will be increased during 3 to 6 months from 60% of VO2peak to 90% which will be the target intensity from 6 to 12 months. The protocol includes four 3 min exercise bouts with a 4 min recovery (pedaling at 0 W) between bouts. Exercise session will last ca. 40 min, with 12 min of HIT, warm-up and recovery. The intensity of the 3 min exercise bouts will be based on VO2peak at baseline and after 6 months. Meanwhile, the estimated VO2peak from the submaximal test will be used to adjust the training intensity in HIT sessions. Training will be conducted in a group of 1-3 HIT-L patients with ECG monitoring and supervised by physician.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Social Insurance Institution, Finland

  collaborator OTHER

• Kuopio University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Eastern Finland

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Basel

  collaborator OTHER

• Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Rainer Rauramaa, professor · Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

40 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-12-31

Primary Completion

2016-11-14

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• Finland

Study Locations