Article

OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in cardiorespiratory fitness over the first year
poststroke and explore the effect of prestroke patients' characteristics and
stroke-related factors on this evolution. DESIGN:
Descriptive, longitudinal study
with repeated measures of exercise capacity at 3, 6, and 12 months poststroke.
SETTING: Rehabilitation center and exercise testing laboratory. PARTICIPANTS:
Consecutive sample of patients with stroke (N=33; mean age +/- SD, 59.0+/-11.3 y). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Peak oxygen consumption
(VO(2)peak) and oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) were determined during a
symptom-limited graded cycle ergometer test at 3, 6, and 12 months poststroke.
Age, sex, premorbid physical activity level, clinical history (smoking, diabetes
mellitus, chronic pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, overweight, and
hypertension), stroke type and area, side of lesion, and assessments of stroke
severity were evaluated at intake. RESULTS: Mean VO(2)peak +/- SD was 18.1+/-6.6
mL.kg(-1).min(-1), 19.8+/-8.0 mL.kg(-1).min(-1), and 19.7+/-8.4 mL.kg(-1).min(-1)
at 3, 6, and 12 months poststroke. Values for OUES were 1575.3+/-638.3,
1710.7+/-710.3, and 1687.2+/-777.5, respectively. Mixed models showed no
significant difference over time for VO(2)peak (P=.10), nor for the logarithm of
OUES (P=.09). Stroke survivors at risk of deconditioning were premorbidly less
active at work or in sport activities, diabetic, or initially more severely
impaired. Combination of factors revealed that older patients with stroke and
diabetes were less likely to improve on VO(2)peak and that older, women, diabetic
nonsmokers improved less on log OUES. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiorespiratory fitness was
reduced from 3 to 12 months poststroke and on average did not significantly
change over time. Further studies should elucidate methods of increasing
cardiorespiratory fitness during stay in the rehabilitation center and how
community-based aerobic exercise training postrehabilitation can be organized.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS