Effect of Long-term Exercise on Haemostasis and Inflammation in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Effect of Long-term Exercise on Haemostasis and Inflammation Compared With Standard Care in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease: a Randomised Clinical Trial

Introduction: Regular exercise training improves prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study investigates whether the beneficial effects of exercise can be partly explained by favourable changes in haemostasis and inflammation.

Methods: 150 CAD patients are randomised to a supervised long-term exercise program (3 months) or usual care. Blood samples are obtained at baseline, 1.5 months, and 3 months after randomisation.

Results: The investigators will evaluate platelet turnover and aggregation, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammatory markers before and after short- and long-term exercise, and the two randomised groups will be compared.

Perspectives: The present study will increase our knowledge of the beneficial mechanisms underlying the effect of exercise in CAD patients, potentially paving the way for improved exercise recommendations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Angiographically verified coronary artery disease with stenosis of at least 50% or previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)/coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
• Diagnosis or revascularisation have been made at least 12 months prior to inclusion.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to perform strenuous exercise
• Anticoagulant treatment
• Heart failure (ejection fraction <30% or NYHA >2)
• Implanted implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
• Serious arrhythmia requiring hospitalisation within the last 6 months
• Severe valvular heart disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease GOLD IV