Problems in Aeromedical Certification: Cardiovascular Response to Exercise Following Myocardial Infarction

摘要

In order to evaluate the quality of the cardiovascular adjustments of cardiac patients to exercise, 12 men who had recovered from well-documented episodes of myocardial infarction were evaluated with a work-capacity test while sedentary and after 8 months of regular, vigorous physical activity. Their responses were compared with those of 12 other cardiac patients and 12 healthy men tested in a similar manner at 8-month intervals. Prior to reconditioning, the 12 cardiac patients had blood-pressure and pulse-rate responses similar to those recorded in the two sedentary groups at comparable levels of energy expenditure. Following the reconditioning, however, these 12 patients had significantly lower levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P