Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 MSc, Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Professor, Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

3 Psychiatrist, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

4 Heart Failure Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

5 Assistant Professor, Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

6 BSc, Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

7 General Practitioner, Interventional Cardiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

8 Professor, Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

 BACKGROUND: Depression is common in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) is a program that alleviates depression. This study
aimed to determine and compare HBCR programs and usual care (UC) effects on depression
control in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).
METHODS: This clinical trial study was performed on 259 patients with IHD that were randomly
allocated to the HBCR and UC groups for stress management. Data were collected using the
"Beck Depression Inventory" (BDI) at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Generalized estimating
equation (GEE) models were applied to examine the associations between times of the groups
and changes in outcomes over the study times. Data analysis was done in SPSS software at the
significance level of 0.05.
RESULTS: A total of 247 participants with a mean age of 55.22 ± 7.40 years participated in this
study, and 209 (84.6%) of the study participants were men. Among patients, 128 patients in the
UC program and 119 patients in the HBCR program attended at least one of the pre-determined
visits (months 6 and 12). The patterns of change of the depression parameter were similar through
the course of the study between the two groups (P = 0.04). In the HBCR group, the depression
reduced continuously from baseline to 6 months, baseline to 12 months, and 6 to 12 months
(P < 0.05). In the UC group, depression was significantly reduced from baseline to 6 months and
from baseline to 12 months.
CONCLUSION: HBCR was effective in continuous reducing of depression scores in long-term
follow-up of patients with IHD. These findings suggest that HBCR can alleviate depression in
patients who do not participate in hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Keywords