Abstract 18836: Beneficial Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation on HDL Function Irrespective of The Achievement of Target Goals For Secondary Prevention

Introduction: It remains unclear how exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) ameliorate HDL function. Hypothesis: Achievement of target goals (ATG) of secondary prevention due to CR is important for improvement of HDL cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC). Methods: We employed a cell-based cholesterol efflux system including the incubation of 3H-cholesterol labeled macrophages with apolipoprotein B-depleted serum at the onset or early phase of ACS and at 6-month follow-up periods in 129 male and 23 female patients aged of 64.7 +/- 11.0 years, with ACS who were encouraged to participate in outpatient CR program following successful percutaneous coronary intervention. Cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed at the beginning and end of CR program. ATG was defined as 5 targets as follows: (1) smoking cessation, (2) BMI 2 or 20% reduction from the baseline if BMI >25, (3) blood pressure goals as systolic 40, and triglyceride Results: One-hundred and twenty-seven patients completed the CR program. Significantly more patients in CR group showed ATG compared with patients who did not participate CR program (non-CR group). CR participants showed amelioration in serum lipid levels, increased CEC, and improved exercise capacity, irrespective of the ATG. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis revealed that the percent increases of CEC were significantly associated with the percent increases in HDL-C (ρ = 0.444, p Conclusions: CR is a useful therapy for ATG, while beneficial effects of CR on CEC were obtained, irrespective of the ATG.