Objective: To investigate the relationship between regular exercise habit and peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak) early after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Methods: A total of 239 patients who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) early after STEMI in a single exercise laboratory were enrolled. Influencing factors to VO₂peak were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: There were 53.6% patients reported to have regular exercise habits before STEMI. No significant difference between patients with and without exercise habit in VO(2)peak early after STEMI (P = 0.317) were found by t test. After adjusted by risk factors including demographic features, clinical characteristics and cardiovascular, etc, regular exercise habit was an independent factor for VO₂peak (β = 1.703, P = 0.015). Following age-stratification, the significant difference was found between patients with and without exercise habits in VO₂peak only in patients aged between 40 - 49 years old (P = 0.004).
Conclusions: The relationship between regular exercise habit and VO₂peak early after STEMI suggests that exercise tolerance of patients with exercise habit will be better than sedentary patients even after STEMI, in particular to patients aged between 40 - 49 years old.