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Background Elderly patients are a growing population in cardiac rehabilitation (CR). As postural control declines with age, assessment of impaired balance is important in older CR patients in order to predict fall risk and to initiate counteracting steps. Functional balance tests are subjective and lack adequate sensitivity to small differences, and are further subject to ceiling effects. A quantitative approach to measure postural control on a continuous scale is therefore desirable. Force plates are already used for this purpose in other clinical contexts, therefore could be a promising tool also for older CR patients. However, in this population the reliability of the assessment is not fully known. Research question Analysis of test-retest reliability of center of pressure (CoP) measures for the assessment of postural control using a force plate in older CR patients. Methods 156 CR patients (> 75 years) were enrolled. CoP measures (path length (PL), mean velocity (MV), and 95% confidence ellipse area (95CEA)) were analyzed twice with an interval of two days in between (bipedal narrow stance, eyes open (EO) and closed (EC), three trials for each condition, 30 s per trial), using a force plate. For test-retest reliability estimation absolute differences (& UDelta;: T0-T1), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals, standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were calculated. Results Under EO condition ICC were excellent for PL and MV (0.95) and good for 95CEA (0.88) with & UDelta; of 10.1 cm (PL), 0.3 cm/sec (MV) and 1.5 cm(2 )(95CEA) respectively. Under EC condition ICC were excellent (> 0.95) for all variables with larger & UDelta; (PL: 21.7 cm; MV: 0.7 cm/sec; 95CEA: 2.4 cm(2)) Significance In older CR patients, the assessment of CoP measures using a force plate shows good to excellent test retest reliability.

Objective To determine immediate performance measures for short-term, multicomponent cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in clinical routine in patients of working age, taking into account cardiovascular risk factors, physical performance, social medicine, and subjective health parameters and to explore the underlying dimensionality. Design Prospective observational multicenter register study in 12 rehabilitation centers throughout Germany. Setting Comprehensive 3-week CR. Participants Patients (N=1586) ≤65 years of age (mean 53.8±7.3y, 77.1% men) in CR (May 2017-May 2018). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Feasibility, defined by data availability for ≥85% of patients (CR admission and discharge), and modifiability based on pre-post comparison (statistical significance, with P value

The benefit of the exposure to sunlight as a treatment for cardiocirculatory and cardiovascular disorders has been reported for more than 6,000 years, since the times of the Egyptian emperors Ramses and Nofretete. The medical use of natural heliotherapy has also been reported from Hippokrates (”Corpus Hippocraticum”), from health care habits of ancient Rome and from the physicians of the Islamic culture in ancient Iran [29].