Article ID: 12071
Objective: We examined whether neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) assists physical function and performance in a heart transplant patient.
Method: A 40-year-old patient underwent heart transplantation due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy followed by outpatient CR after discharge. The study design was A (basic level period)–B (intervention period)–A (basic level period), and each period was of 8 weeks. The patient underwent outpatient CR once weekly for the entire study period. NMES was performed on the thighs and lower legs for 50 min/day, 5 times/week at home only during the intervention period. The objective variables in this study were exercise capacity, muscle strength, and usual walking speeds. The measurement points were the 0th week (M1), 8th week (M2), 16th week (M3), and 24th week (M4).
Results: Changes in oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold (AT) were 16.7 mL/min/kg, 20.6 mL/min/kg, 22.8 mL/min/kg, and 17.9 mL/min/kg, and lower limb muscle strength was 0.69%, 0.70%, 0.76%, and 0.74 % body weight; the usual walking speeds were 1.17 m/s, 1.36 m/s, 1.41 m/s, and 1.37 m/s (M1, M2, M3, and M4, respectively).
Conclusion: NMES may have synergistic effects on outpatient CR in patients following transplantation.
