Different outcomes of a cardiac rehabilitation programme in functional parameters among myocardial infarction survivors according to ejection fraction

Introduction Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) is part of the management of patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Patients with a reduced ejection fraction (EF) comprise a higher-risk subgroup and are referred less often for these programmes. This study aimed at assessing the impact of the baseline EF on the functional benefits, as assessed by peak oxygen uptake (pVO 2 ) and exercise duration, of an EBCR programme in AMI survivors. Methods Observational, retrospective cohort study including all patients admitted to a tertiary centre due to an AMI who completed a phase II EBCR programme after discharge, between November 2012 and April 2017. Functional parameters were assessed by a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test. Results A total of 379 patients were included [40.9% with reduced EF (