Changes in Sleep Quality in Heart Disease Patients Following a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Sleep disorders are very common in patients with heart disease. The objective of this study has been to assess the effects of a cardiac rehabilitation program on sleep quality, quality of life, anxiety, depression and functional capacity in patients with heart disease. A pre-test/post-test design study was carried out on the 240 patients included in the cardiac rehabilitation program at the “Virgen de la Victoria” hospital in Malaga; 50 patients (20.8%) were included in the program due to heart failure (HF) and the rest of them after having undergone a revascularization procedure or a surgery for valvular disease. The patients underwent a cardiac rehabilitation program for 8 weeks, based on programmed physical training, health education and psychological treatment. At the end of the program, scores improved on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p = 0.008), the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire (p <0.001), the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (p <0.001) as well as in functional capacity (p <0.001). When comparing patients with heart failure with those without, no differences were found in sleep quality, quality of life, anxiety or depression. In conclusion, the completion of an 8-week cardiac rehabilitation program may improve, in the short term, the quality of sleep in patients with heart disease.