Cardiac Transplant Exercise Prescription

Question 1

patients may present with:

Answer 1

• exercise intolerance due to extended inactivity and deconditioning
• side effects from immunosuppressive drug therapy: hypertension, obesity, diabetes, leg cramps, and proximal muscle weakness
• decreased LE strength
• increased fracture risk

Question 2

can you use HR alone for exercise intensity?

Answer 2

no way!
- heart is denervated and pts tend to be tachycardic
- use HR, BP, RPE, METs, and dyspnea scale

Question 3

warm up and cool down for this population

Answer 3

• use longer periods of warm up and cool down because the physiological responses to exercise and recovery may take longer