Muscle wasting after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: impact on post-operative clinical status and effect of exercise-based rehabilitation

Abstract

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is known to induce significant muscle wasting. It remains to be investigated whether muscle wasting after CABG surgery relates to a worse clinical status at entry of rehabilitation and exercise-based rehabilitation remediates such muscle wasting.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Methods: In 21 males, changes in lean tissue mass (LTM) after CABG surgery were assessed and during a 12-week endurance exercise-based rehabilitation intervention. Changes in blood parameters and cardiopulmonary exercise capacity were assessed, and relations with changes in LTM were analysed.

Results: LTM decreased by −1.9 ± 2.5 kg (p < .05) within 3 weeks after CABG surgery: greater LTM loss related to a lower ventilatory threshold at entry of rehabilitation (r = 0.58–0.61, p < .05). LTM was fully restored (+2.1 ± 2.4 kg, p < .05) during rehabilitation.

Conclusion: In males, CABG-induced LTM reduction was associated with a worse aerobic exercise tolerance at entry of rehabilitation, but this LTM reduction was fully remediated by endurance exercise-based rehabilitation.

Keywords:

• Coronary bypass surgery
• lean tissue mass
• rehabilitation

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Author contribution

DH and PD conceived and designed the study. DH and KV acquired the data. DH and HB analysed and interpreted the data. DH, HB, KV, MH, JLR, IF, BOE and PD drafted the manuscript. DH, HB, KV, MH, JLR, IF, BOE and PD critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. DH, BOE and PD supervised the study. All authors gave final approval and agree to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy.