Algarve Active Ageing - Cardiac and Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation (A3-COR)

Plain-language summary

This study aims to develop, implement, and determines the effectiveness of a personalized medicine approach to each individual's phenotype, based on an innovative physical exercise program to promote the treatment of pain and functional limitation resulting from knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in patients recovering after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiovascular risk (CVR). This randomized clinical study is important due to the lack of evidence according to the effectiveness of a personalized physical exercise intervention in people after MI or CVR with simultaneous KOA. Some studies have shown the existence of a relationship between OA and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary artery disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, cardiac procedures, or death related to CVD, since individuals with OA have a higher prevalence of CVD than individuals without OA. Sedentary behaviour is a risk factor for AMI, CVR and KOA, and, at the same time, physical exercise is a common non-pharmacological treatment for people suffering from these conditions, namely in the control of joint pain, gains in functional capacity, and the improvement of cardiorespiratory functional capacity, whose impact can be felt in level of quality of life. Chronic diseases have a significant impact on the global burden of disease, particularly CVD and OA, with the added presence of obesity also contributing to a high rate of all-cause morbidity and mortality, representing a substantial health burden and with growing implications for individuals, health systems and socioeconomic costs. The presence of OA seems to lead to an increased risk of developing CVD. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this relationship. Chronic inflammation associated with OA is one of the hypotheses suggested to explain the increased risk of CVD in these individuals. Furthermore, the pain and disability associated with OA may also limit participation in exercise/physical activity, influencing other risk factors associated with both chronic diseases, such as weight gain. The lack of studies about physical exercise intervention on people that suffered acute myocardial infarction or is in cardiovascular risk with simultaneous knee osteoarthritis and the lack of offer of phase III cardiac rehabilitation in Algarve motivated the development of this study, with the assumption of adopting a healthier lifestyle.

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