Impact of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Patient Outcomes

Background and Rationale:Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are widely recognized as a cornerstone of secondary prevention, aiming to improve physical fitness, psychological well-being, and overall health status in cardiac patients. However, real-world retrospective data assessing the multi-dimensional impact of structured CR-encompassing functional capacity, psychological distress (depressive symptoms), health-related quality of life, and sleep quality-simultaneously remain crucial for optimizing patient care protocols. Study Objectives:The primary objective of this retrospective study is to evaluate the changes in clinical, functional, and psychosocial outcomes following participation in a structured cardiac rehabilitation program. Specifically, the study aims to compare pre- and post-rehabilitation measures regarding: Functional exercise capacity, depressive symptom severity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), sleep quality. Study Design and Patient Population:This study utilizes a retrospective observational design. Clinical records and institutional databases will be systematically reviewed to identify patients with heart disease who were admitted to and completed a structured cardiac rehabilitation program. Data Collection and Outcome Measures: All patient data regarding baseline characteristics, clinical history, and pre- and post-rehabilitation assessments are routinely collected as part of standard clinical care. The primary and secondary outcome measures to be extracted and analyzed include: 1. Functional Capacity: Assessed using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), measuring the distance walked in 6 minutes as an indicator of submaximal aerobic capacity. 2. Depressive Symptoms: Evaluated via the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a self-report questionnaire measuring the severity of depression. 3. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL): Evaluated using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey, covering both physical and mental component summaries. 4. Sleep Quality: Assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), measuring sleep habits and disturbances over a 1-month time interval. Statistical Analysis: De-identified data will be analyzed using JASP statistical software. Normality of distribution for continuous variables will be tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test or Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Paired-samples t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests will be utilized to compare pre-rehabilitation (baseline) and post-rehabilitation outcomes, depending on data normality. A p-value of \< 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.