Physical rehabilitation of elderly patients with stable angina pectoris: rationale for the use of aerobic exercise
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/2411-1597.2026.2.16472Keywords:
angina pectoris, physical rehabilitation, Nordic walking, aerobic exercise, elderly patients, quality of lifeAbstract
Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and stable angina as a manifestation of chronic coronary syndrome significantly limits the functional capacity and quality of life of elderly patients. Current cardiac rehabilitation programs consider graded aerobic exercise as a fundamental non-pharmacological component of treatment and secondary prevention. Nordic walking is an accessible and safe form of aerobic activity that engages up to 90 % of body muscles and allows precise regulation of exercise intensity.
The aim of the study – to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating Nordic walking into the physical rehabilitation program for elderly patients with stable angina by analyzing changes in hemodynamic parameters, functional endurance, and quality of life.
The main part. A prospective controlled study involved 24 patients aged 62–75 years with stable exertional angina. Participants were equally allocated to a control group (CG, n=12) receiving standard physical rehabilitation, and a study group (SG, n=12) whose standard program was supplemented with Nordic walking sessions over 8 weeks. Blood pressure, heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation, 6-minute walk test (6MWT) results, and SF-36 quality of life scores were assessed before and after the intervention.
Conclusions. The study group demonstrated more pronounced positive dynamics: systolic blood pressure decreased from 140 to 125 mmHg, HR from 85 to 75 beats/min, oxygen saturation increased from 94 % to 97 %, and 6MWT distance improved from 380 to 460 m. Physical functioning and mental health SF-36 scores reached 75 % and 80 % respectively, exceeding CG results. These findings confirm the feasibility of Nordic walking as an effective and evidence-based component of comprehensive physical rehabilitation for elderly patients with stable angina.
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