Our study aimed at determining the effects of long-term exercise training on cardiorespiratory function and left ventricular remodeling in ischemic heart disease patients with the evidence of chronic heart failure, who had undergone a successful coronary angioplasty. One hundred thirty-five patients were entered into one-year study: 70 patients were assigned to the long-term exercise training group, and the remaining 65 persons--to the control group. All the patients were subjected to ergospirometry and echocardiography at study entry and at 6 and 12 months. At the outset, both groups showed no significant difference (P>0.05) in terms of ergospirometry findings. However, after 6 months, the rehabilitation group demonstrated significant changes (P<0.05) in exercise time, double product, RQ, AT VO2, VE/VO2, while the control group displayed no significant changes. After 12 months, the patients of rehabilitation group showed further increase in exercise time (from 5.6+/-1.9 min to 6.5+/-2.1 min) and AT VO2 (from 17.3+/-7.2 ml/kg/min to 20.8+/-5.4 ml/kg/min) indices (P<0.05). Those of double product and VE/VO2 decreased slightly when compared with findings at 6 months. RQ remained virtually at the same level, but significantly differed from the corresponding indices at the outset. Echocardiography performed at the entry and at 6 and 12 months revealed significant changes in systolic left ventricular function among the patients of rehabilitation group: wall movement index, ejection fraction as well as the left atrial long axis and left ventricular wall thickness. Echocardiographic changes indicate a positive impact of complex rehabilitative measures on systolic left ventricular function as evidenced by the ejection fraction and wall movement index values, as well as by regression of left ventricular wall thickness and left atrial long axis. Ergospirometry findings allow us to propose that the adequate choice of rehabilitative tools favorably affects the cardiovascular system, and this is reflected in exercise time and AT VO2 indices.