Innovative Cardiac Rehabilitation: Effects of Adaptive Postural Balance Exercise on Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

D. Qin, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People’s Republic of China.
G. Liu, J. Zhang, S. Lin, X. Liu, J. Zhao, et al.

Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2025 Vol. 18 Pages 1239-1254

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Adaptive Postural Balance Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise (APBCRE) on glycolipid metabolism and exercise endurance in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Specifically, we compared the efficacy of APBCRE with aerobic exercise (AE) alone and irregular exercise (IE).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled trial included 348 patients with CAD, comprising 261 patients with T2DM and 87 non-diabetic CAD patients as a control group. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: the APBCRE group, the AE group, the IE group, or the non-diabetic AE control group. The intervention lasted 8 weeks, including a structured 6-week training phase. Metabolic markers and exercise endurance were assessed at baseline (week 1) and post-intervention (week 8). Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was utilized to individualize exercise prescriptions and optimize intervention intensity.
RESULTS: The APBCRE group demonstrated significant improvements in fasting blood glucose (FBG) (-11.34%, from 7.89 to 6.99 mmol/L, p < 0.05), HbA1c (-8.87%, from 7.20% to 6.56%, p < 0.05), and LDL-C levels (-12.21%, from 2.44 to 2.14 mmol/L, p < 0.05) compared to the AE and IE groups. While both APBCRE and AE improved lipid profiles, APBCRE demonstrated superior enhancements in exercise endurance, with VO (2) max increasing by 18.71% (from 14.19 to 16.86 mL/min/kg, p < 0.05) and AT VO (2) increasing by 16.00% (from 11.62 to 13.48 mL/min/kg, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: These findings support the efficacy of APBCRE in improving glycolipid metabolism, exercise endurance, and neuromuscular coordination in patients with CAD and T2DM compared to AE alone.