Active Participation in Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Is Associated With Better Prognosis After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery　― J-REHAB CABG Study

Background:There is little evidence regarding the effect of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on exercise capacity or the long-term prognosis in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). This study aimed to determine whether participation in outpatient CR improves exercise capacity and long-term prognosis in post-CABG Japanese patients in a multicenter cohort.Methods and Results:We enrolled 346 post-CABG patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing during early (2–3 weeks) and late (3–6 months) time points after surgery. They formed the Active (n=240) and Non-Active (n=106) CR participation groups and were followed for 3.5 years. Primary endpoint was a major adverse cardiac event (MACE): all-cause death or rehospitalization for acute myocardial infarction/unstable angina/worsening heart failure. Peak oxygen uptake at 3–5 months from baseline was significantly more increased in Active than in Non-Active patients (+26±24% vs. +19±20%, respectively; P